Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Springfield, MO and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,216 in Springfield, MO, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Springfield, MO
🇺🇸 United States
$2,216
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,216 in Springfield, MO versus $1,208 in Phuket.

  • Springfield, MO $2,216
  • Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,256 in Springfield, MO versus $2,027 in Phuket.

  • Springfield, MO $3,256
  • Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,296 in Springfield, MO versus $2,845 in Phuket.

  • Springfield, MO $4,296
  • Phuket $2,845

Living in Springfield, MO is roughly 83% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Springfield, MO is 64% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Springfield, MO
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.93 $27.93
$4.40 ฿147
534.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.6 $59.6
$32.26 ฿1,078
84.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.17 $11.17
$8.76 ฿293
27.51%
Cappuccino
$4.89 $4.89
$2.83 ฿94.5
72.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 $2.19
$0.90 ฿30.14
143.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 $2.19
$0.47 ฿15.56
365.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.62 $4.62
$2.55 ฿85.2
81.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.38 $6.38
$3.83 ฿128
66.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Springfield, MO
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 $1.14
$1.73 ฿57.7
-34.10%
White Bread (500g)
$3.30 $3.30
$1.47 ฿49.11
124.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.10 $2.10
$1.51 ฿50.6
39.07%
Eggs
$3.79 $3.79
$2.17 ฿72.7
74.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.36 $11.36
$19.70 ฿658
-42.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.75 $8.75
$3.34 ฿112
161.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.29 $15.29
$11.16 ฿373
37.01%
Apples (1kg)
$4.50 $4.50
$2.85 ฿95.1
57.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.09 $1.09
$1.70 ฿56.9
-35.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.09 $3.09
$2.19 ฿73.3
41.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.28 $4.28
$2.05 ฿68.4
108.78%
Potato (1kg)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.45 ฿48.57
13.79%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.38 ฿46.16
70.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.81 $1.81
$1.07 ฿35.69
69.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$0.51 ฿16.91
288.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.13 $8.13
$4.26 ฿142
90.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.74 $13.74
$18.58 ฿621
-26.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 $1.80
$1.78 ฿59.7
1.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.49 $4.49
$2.85 ฿95.2
57.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Springfield, MO
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.28 $1.28
$2.26 ฿75.6
-43.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.72 $44.72
$22.10 ฿738
102.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.95 $2.95
$3.01 ฿101
-1.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.06 ฿35.34
37.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.69 $36.69
$3.86 ฿129
850.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.45 ฿48.45
-35.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K $28.4K
$26.3K ฿879.9K
7.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K $26.3K
$26.9K ฿900.4K
-2.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Springfield, MO
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$272 $272
$96.4 ฿3,221
182.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.9 $58.9
$11.04 ฿369
433.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.7 $72.7
$17.14 ฿573
324.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Springfield, MO
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.5 $57.5
$52.2 ฿1,744
10.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.36 $34.36
$11.16 ฿373
207.89%
Cinema Ticket
$12.77 $12.77
$7.81 ฿261
63.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Springfield, MO
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$759 $759
$556 ฿18.6K
36.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.6K ฿387.0K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Springfield, MO
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.1 $72.1
$64.2 ฿2,146
12.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.38 $36.38
$28.69 ฿959
26.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.8 $79.8
$95.4 ฿3,187
-16.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 $127
$88.0 ฿2,940
44.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Springfield, MO
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$996 $996
$737 ฿24.6K
35.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$817 $817
$462 ฿15.5K
76.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,706 $1,706
$2,095 ฿70.0K
-18.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,351 $1,351
$1,201 ฿40.1K
12.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,830 $1,830
$3,488 ฿116.6K
-47.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,806 $1,806
$2,523 ฿84.3K
-28.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Springfield, MO
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,009 $3,009
$501 ฿16.7K
500.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.36
5.57
14.18%

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

Last update for Springfield, MO: October 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Springfield, MO
$817
Phuket
$462 43.4% $355
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Springfield, MO
$404
Phuket
$125 69.2% $279
Eating Out
Springfield, MO
$369
Phuket
$121 67.1% $248
Groceries & Markets
Springfield, MO
$340
Phuket
$269 21.1% $72
Clothing & Footwear
Springfield, MO
$142
Phuket
$124 12.3% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Springfield, MO
$83
Phuket
$68 18.4% $15
Getting Around
Springfield, MO
$60
Phuket
$39 34.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $996 in Springfield, MO and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Springfield, MO pays 501% 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: $60.0 in Springfield, MO vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Springfield, MO
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
08:12 8:12 AM
20:12 8:12 PM
12 h ahead of Springfield, MO
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
116,482
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Springfield, MO Phuket 14,860 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Springfield, MO
  • 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
Springfield, MO vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Springfield, MO?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Springfield, MO or Phuket?
Average pay runs 501% higher in Springfield, MO, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Springfield, MO and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $996 in Springfield, MO versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $759 in Springfield, MO versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Springfield, MO and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Springfield, MO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Springfield, MO or in Phuket?
At $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,216 in Springfield, MO, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Springfield, MO. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Springfield, MO or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Springfield, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Springfield, MO or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Springfield, MO 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Springfield, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Springfield, MO vs other spots: cost of living compared

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