Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockton, CA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockton, CA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,755 in Stockton, CA versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,180 in Stockton, CA versus $2,078 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,605 in Stockton, CA versus $2,896 in Phuket.

Living in Stockton, CA is roughly 119% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Stockton, CA is 101% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.37 $22.37

$4.43 ฿145

404.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 $70.1

$35.07 ฿1,151

100.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$8.96 ฿294

36.05%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$3.00 ฿98.4

94.00%

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

$3.38 $3.38

$0.77 ฿25.33

338.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.47 ฿15.44

370.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.48 $6.48

$2.40 ฿78.6

170.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 $6.14

$3.75 ฿123

63.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.82 ฿59.8

-18.13%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.42 ฿46.65

204.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$1.55 ฿50.8

171.61%

Eggs

$5.77 $5.77

$2.13 ฿69.9

170.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 $8.86

$19.76 ฿648

-55.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.02 $14.02

$3.48 ฿114

302.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.02 $22.02

$11.09 ฿364

98.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.91 ฿95.5

80.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.66 ฿54.6

-17.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$2.27 ฿74.5

61.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$2.10 ฿68.8

169.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.47 ฿48.24

38.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.41 ฿46.29

112.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.09 ฿35.78

118.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$0.54 ฿17.58

379.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$4.48 ฿147

160.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.57 $15.57

$18.72 ฿614

-16.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.84 ฿60.4

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.95 ฿96.7

-58.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.26 ฿74.1

10.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.94 $39.94

$23.07 ฿757

73.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.04 ฿99.9

14.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.09 ฿35.82

177.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.44 $30.44

$3.82 ฿125

696.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.49 ฿48.79

2.01%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$27.4K ฿900.3K

-8.72%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.5K ฿902.7K

-5.86%

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

$269 $269

$102 ฿3,340

164.70%

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

$48.28 $48.28

$11.28 ฿370

328.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.1 $74.1

$17.75 ฿582

317.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.05 $36.05

$54.2 ฿1,777

-33.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

Cinema Ticket

$13.89 $13.89

$7.85 ฿258

76.94%

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

$254 $254

$577 ฿18.9K

-56.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K $14.8K

$11.6K ฿381.6K

27.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 $59.4

$65.4 ฿2,144

-9.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.24 $29.24

$28.89 ฿948

1.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 $81.1

$99.1 ฿3,250

-18.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.9 $73.9

$90.3 ฿2,961

-18.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 $1,588

$756 ฿24.8K

110.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 $1,342

$487 ฿16.0K

175.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 $2,930

$2,085 ฿68.4K

40.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,627 $2,627

$1,207 ฿39.6K

117.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,074 $3,074

$3,591 ฿117.8K

-14.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 $3,045

$2,610 ฿85.6K

16.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,922 $3,922

$502 ฿16.5K

680.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

5.57

9.16%

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

Last update for Stockton, CA: August 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,588 in Stockton, CA and $756 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockton, CA pays 681% 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: $70.0 in Stockton, CA vs $35.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $433 vs $272 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

Stockton, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 119% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 681% higher in Stockton, CA, 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: $1,588 in Stockton, CA versus $756 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $254 in Stockton, CA versus $577 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Stockton, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,755 in Stockton, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Stockton, CA. 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 Stockton, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Stockton, CA 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 Stockton, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.