Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Portland, ME and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,045 in South Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in South Portland, ME
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South Portland, ME Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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South Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$3,045

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Portland, ME 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 South Portland, ME and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,045 in South Portland, ME versus $1,278 in Phuket.

South Portland, ME $3,045
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,568 in South Portland, ME versus $2,216 in Phuket.

South Portland, ME $4,568
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,091 in South Portland, ME versus $3,154 in Phuket.

South Portland, ME $6,091
Phuket $3,154

Living in South Portland, ME is roughly 138% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: South Portland, ME is 124% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.94 $24.94

$4.47 ฿151

457.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$32.41 ฿1,094

263.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.71 $14.71

$8.81 ฿297

66.97%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$2.83 ฿95.5

89.05%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$0.87 ฿29.43

255.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.49 ฿16.67

383.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 $7.81

$2.56 ฿86.4

205.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$3.68 ฿124

116.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.66 ฿56.0

-35.54%

White Bread (500g)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.46 ฿49.35

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$1.50 ฿50.6

364.00%

Eggs

$4.03 $4.03

$2.09 ฿70.5

92.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.36 $15.36

$19.07 ฿644

-19.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 $10.35

$3.30 ฿111

213.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.97 $15.97

$10.91 ฿368

46.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.93 ฿99.0

62.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.69 ฿57.1

-2.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.25 ฿75.8

145.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.61 $7.61

$2.08 ฿70.1

265.87%

Potato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.51 ฿51.0

190.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.38 ฿46.56

173.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.07 ฿35.99

173.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$0.52 ฿17.52

398.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.31 $12.31

$4.20 ฿142

193.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$18.79 ฿634

-19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.82 ฿61.5

4.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.84 ฿95.9

-8.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.45 ฿49.03

31.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.3 $51.3

$56.7 ฿1,913

-9.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.02 ฿102

-32.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.02 ฿34.36

54.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.94 $10.94

$3.69 ฿125

196.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.47 ฿49.81

-25.85%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

2.67%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

0.13%

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

$239 $239

$96.4 ฿3,254

147.88%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$11.26 ฿380

506.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 $78.6

$16.85 ฿569

366.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.18 $40.18

$67.2 ฿2,270

-40.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.61 $29.61

$10.73 ฿362

175.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.95 $14.95

$7.50 ฿253

99.33%

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

$401 $401

$476 ฿16.1K

-15.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K $15.1K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

34.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 $51.9

$62.4 ฿2,106

-16.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$28.41 ฿959

80.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$94.3 ฿3,184

9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$85.8 ฿2,898

52.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 $1,972

$716 ฿24.2K

175.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 $1,537

$491 ฿16.6K

213.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,166 $3,166

$1,927 ฿65.1K

64.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,605 $2,605

$1,431 ฿48.3K

82.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 $2,784

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-33.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 $2,332

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-23.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,169 $4,169

$502 ฿17.0K

730.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

5.57

19.39%

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

Last update for South Portland, ME: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Portland, ME

$1.5K 50.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 68.1% $1K

Groceries & Markets

South Portland, ME

$446 14.7%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 40.4% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Portland, ME

$386 12.7%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 67.7% $261

Eating Out

South Portland, ME

$385 12.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 68.4% $263

Clothing & Footwear

South Portland, ME

$152 5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 19.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

South Portland, ME

$70 2.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 17.4% $12

Getting Around

South Portland, ME

$69 2.3%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 2.5% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,972 in South Portland, ME and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

South Portland, ME pays about 8.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $118 in South Portland, ME vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $446 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 South Portland, ME

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

14:07 2:07 PM

01:07 1:07 AM

11 h ahead of South Portland, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,498

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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South Portland, ME Phuket 14,170 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

South Portland, ME
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

South Portland, ME vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 138% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in South Portland, ME is about 8.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,972 in South Portland, ME versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $401 in South Portland, ME versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in South Portland, ME. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,045 in South Portland, ME, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in South Portland, ME. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, South Portland, ME 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, South Portland, ME on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.