Cost of Living Comparison Between Simpsonville, SC and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Simpsonville, SC and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,551 in Simpsonville, SC versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,757 in Simpsonville, SC versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,963 in Simpsonville, SC versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Simpsonville, SC is roughly 102% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Simpsonville, SC is 91% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$4.53 ฿153

300.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 $79.6

$46.36 ฿1,565

71.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 $10.14

$8.65 ฿292

17.23%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$3.09 ฿104

62.46%

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

$2.47 $2.47

$0.68 ฿22.89

263.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.37 ฿12.44

427.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$2.42 ฿81.6

141.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$3.81 ฿129

81.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.18 ฿73.5

-53.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$1.82 ฿61.3

113.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$2.18 ฿73.5

94.04%

Eggs

$3.15 $3.15

$2.24 ฿75.4

40.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.54 $12.54

$19.93 ฿673

-37.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.63 $14.63

$3.64 ฿123

301.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.72 $16.72

$13.56 ฿458

23.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$3.29 ฿111

73.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.69 ฿56.9

-2.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.63 $6.63

$2.33 ฿78.8

184.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.03 ฿68.4

112.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.60 ฿54.0

132.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.49 ฿50.5

89.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.01 ฿34.17

79.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.48 ฿16.09

306.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.91 $6.91

$4.45 ฿150

55.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 $15.17

$18.63 ฿629

-18.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.79 ฿60.3

-10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.80 ฿94.4

8.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.42 ฿47.90

44.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.09 ฿104

-4.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.04 ฿35.19

39.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.03 $18.03

$13.63 ฿460

32.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.31 ฿44.23

-41.98%

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

$34.3K $34.3K

$27.3K ฿920.7K

25.61%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-24.05%

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

$138 $138

$123 ฿4,157

11.82%

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

$53.8 $53.8

$13.81 ฿466

289.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$18.52 ฿625

291.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.63 $42.63

$60.4 ฿2,037

-29.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿567

Cinema Ticket

$13.99 $13.99

$8.89 ฿300

57.37%

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

$1,345 $1,345

$687 ฿23.2K

95.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,830 $9,830

$15.6K ฿524.8K

-36.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.84 $46.84

$57.6 ฿1,945

-18.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.32 $36.32

$34.66 ฿1,170

4.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 $94.3

$115 ฿3,879

-17.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$84.9 ฿2,865

62.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$618 ฿20.8K

160.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 $1,340

$443 ฿15.0K

202.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 $2,668

$2,047 ฿69.1K

30.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 $2,197

$1,506 ฿50.8K

45.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

5.33

23.64%

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

Last update for Simpsonville, SC: July 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Simpsonville, SC and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in Simpsonville, SC vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $418 vs $292 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Simpsonville, SC vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,826 in Simpsonville, SC and $1,891 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: $1,608 in Simpsonville, SC versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,345 in Simpsonville, SC versus $687 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 $46.00 versus $80.0 in Simpsonville, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,551 in Simpsonville, SC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Simpsonville, SC. 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 Simpsonville, SC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Simpsonville, SC 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 102% less than in Simpsonville, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.