Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sheldon, IA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $2,555 in Sheldon, IA, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Sheldon, IA
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Sheldon, IA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Sheldon, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,555

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sheldon, IA and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sheldon, IA and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,555 in Sheldon, IA versus $1,190 in Phuket.

Sheldon, IA $2,555
Phuket $1,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,737 in Sheldon, IA versus $2,006 in Phuket.

Sheldon, IA $3,737
Phuket $2,006

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,918 in Sheldon, IA versus $2,822 in Phuket.

Sheldon, IA $4,918
Phuket $2,822

Living in Sheldon, IA is roughly 115% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sheldon, IA is 91% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.28 $20.28

$4.35 ฿146

366.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 $80.7

$32.45 ฿1,087

148.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 $10.03

$8.42 ฿282

19.12%

Cappuccino

$5.86 $5.86

$2.81 ฿94.0

108.54%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$0.87 ฿29.31

260.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$0.46 ฿15.40

406.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.99 $6.99

$2.59 ฿86.6

169.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$3.64 ฿122

123.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.71 ฿57.2

-50.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.45 ฿48.45

144.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.45 $6.45

$1.56 ฿52.3

313.46%

Eggs

$2.04 $2.04

$2.10 ฿70.3

-2.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.32 $10.32

$19.53 ฿654

-47.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.99 $12.99

$3.40 ฿114

282.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 $8.61

$11.14 ฿373

-22.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$2.83 ฿94.9

103.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.62 ฿54.4

-19.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.22 ฿74.5

141.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$2.15 ฿71.9

144.19%

Potato (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.49 ฿49.98

198.66%

Onion (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.33 ฿44.43

222.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.07 ฿35.74

90.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$0.51 ฿17.02

409.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.76 $12.76

$4.38 ฿147

191.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.05 $16.05

$18.77 ฿629

-14.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.74 ฿58.3

63.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 $5.81

$2.78 ฿93.0

108.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.17 ฿72.6

-8.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.02 ฿101

68.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.06 ฿35.45

65.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.62 $23.62

$3.71 ฿124

536.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.43 ฿47.91

-25.17%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.1K $36.1K

$26.3K ฿882.6K

37.01%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.2K ฿877.8K

-2.07%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$175 $175

$96.7 ฿3,238

81.18%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$54.9 $54.9

$11.41 ฿382

380.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.8 $70.8

$17.11 ฿573

313.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.57 $44.57

$52.8 ฿1,769

-15.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$16.10 $16.10

$7.65 ฿256

110.46%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,390 $1,390

$555 ฿18.6K

150.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.7K $36.7K

$11.3K ฿377.9K

225.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 $57.3

$63.4 ฿2,124

-9.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.47 $43.47

$28.61 ฿958

51.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 $97.6

$96.7 ฿3,240

0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$88.6 ฿2,968

17.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 $1,718

$735 ฿24.6K

133.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,454 $1,454

$458 ฿15.3K

217.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 $2,614

$2,102 ฿70.4K

24.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,204 $2,204

$1,187 ฿39.8K

85.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,016 $3,016

$3,493 ฿117.0K

-13.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,665 $2,665

$2,491 ฿83.5K

6.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

5.57

19.57%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Sheldon, IA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sheldon, IA

$1.5K 53.3%

Phuket

$458 38.1% 68.5% $996

Groceries & Markets

Sheldon, IA

$403 14.8%

Phuket

$268 22.3% 33.5% $135

Eating Out

Sheldon, IA

$336 12.3%

Phuket

$119 9.9% 64.5% $216

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sheldon, IA

$301 11%

Phuket

$125 10.4% 58.4% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Sheldon, IA

$136 5%

Phuket

$125 10.4% 8.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Sheldon, IA

$77 2.8%

Phuket

$68 5.7% 11.3% $8.7

Getting Around

Sheldon, IA

$22 * 0.8%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 80.3% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,718 in Sheldon, IA and $735 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Sheldon, IA vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sheldon, IA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:48 12:48 AM

12:48 12:48 PM

12 h ahead of Sheldon, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,200

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 33.5 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sheldon, IA Phuket 14,160 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Sheldon, IA
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Sheldon, IA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 115% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,833 in Sheldon, IA and $1,785 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,718 in Sheldon, IA versus $735 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,390 in Sheldon, IA versus $555 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $81.0 in Sheldon, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,190 in Phuket versus $2,555 in Sheldon, IA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sheldon, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sheldon, IA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sheldon, IA and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Sheldon, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.