Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Springfield, IL and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,641 in Springfield, IL, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Springfield, IL
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Springfield, IL Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Springfield, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,641

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,641 in Springfield, IL versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Springfield, IL $2,641
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,964 in Springfield, IL versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Springfield, IL $3,964
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,286 in Springfield, IL versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Springfield, IL $5,286
Phuket $2,867

Living in Springfield, IL is roughly 119% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Springfield, IL is 96% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.61 $14.61

$4.58 ฿153

219.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.89 $42.89

$32.48 ฿1,086

32.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 $10.13

$8.55 ฿286

18.48%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$2.72 ฿91.0

91.18%

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

$1.95 $1.95

$0.94 ฿31.25

107.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.49 ฿16.39

222.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.59 ฿86.6

13.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.83 ฿128

6.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.74 ฿58.1

-56.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.43 ฿47.82

132.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.91 $8.91

$1.53 ฿51.0

482.35%

Eggs

$3.09 $3.09

$2.17 ฿72.7

42.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.08 $19.08

$19.15 ฿640

-0.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.06 $17.06

$3.30 ฿110

416.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.40 $32.40

$11.14 ฿372

190.84%

Apples (1kg)

$8.62 $8.62

$2.95 ฿98.5

192.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.68 ฿56.1

-26.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.64 $8.64

$2.30 ฿76.8

275.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$2.13 ฿71.3

160.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$1.53 ฿51.1

111.76%

Onion (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$1.36 ฿45.55

229.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.12 ฿37.44

75.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$0.55 ฿18.24

196.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$4.26 ฿142

132.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 $11.03

$18.19 ฿608

-39.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.74 ฿58.2

-28.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.79 ฿93.3

-41.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.22 ฿74.1

-44.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.50 $39.50

$22.06 ฿737

79.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 $5.68

$2.91 ฿97.3

95.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.01 ฿33.79

7.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.14 $18.14

$3.83 ฿128

373.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.49 ฿49.85

-36.24%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

36.45%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-0.02%

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

$233 $233

$99.4 ฿3,321

134.14%

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

$93.2 $93.2

$11.28 ฿377

726.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 $64.9

$17.36 ฿580

273.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.49 $49.49

$52.3 ฿1,747

-5.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$10.85 ฿362

81.94%

Cinema Ticket

$12.57 $12.57

$7.57 ฿253

66.05%

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

$931 $931

$558 ฿18.7K

66.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 $105

$62.9 ฿2,102

67.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$28.58 ฿955

92.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

$96.1 ฿3,213

30.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$88.1 ฿2,943

57.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 $915

$729 ฿24.4K

25.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 $1,164

$460 ฿15.4K

153.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,889 $1,889

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-9.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,158 $2,158

$1,222 ฿40.8K

76.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,133 $3,133

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-9.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,184 $1,184

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-52.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,882 $3,882

$493 ฿16.5K

687.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.57

17.59%

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

Last update for Springfield, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Springfield, IL

$1.2K 44.1%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 60.5% $704

Groceries & Markets

Springfield, IL

$519 19.6%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 48.4% $251

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Springfield, IL

$391 14.8%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 67.2% $263

Eating Out

Springfield, IL

$247 9.3%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 50.8% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Springfield, IL

$191 7.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 35% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Springfield, IL

$75 2.8%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 9.7% $7.2

Getting Around

Springfield, IL

$56 2.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 30% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $915 in Springfield, IL and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Springfield, IL pays 687% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Springfield, IL vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $519 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Springfield, IL

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:59 3:59 PM

03:59 3:59 AM

12 h ahead of Springfield, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,482

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Springfield, IL Phuket 14,650 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Springfield, IL
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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

Springfield, IL vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 119% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 687% higher in Springfield, IL, 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: $915 in Springfield, IL versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $931 in Springfield, IL versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Springfield, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,641 in Springfield, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Springfield, IL. 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 Springfield, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Springfield, IL 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 119% less than in Springfield, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.