Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Streamwood, IL and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,519 in Streamwood, IL, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

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

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Streamwood, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,519

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,519 in Streamwood, IL versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Streamwood, IL $2,519
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,740 in Streamwood, IL versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Streamwood, IL $3,740
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,961 in Streamwood, IL versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Streamwood, IL $4,961
Phuket $2,845

Living in Streamwood, IL is roughly 108% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Streamwood, IL is 86% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.86 $19.86

$4.40 ฿147

351.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$32.26 ฿1,078

135.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 $11.94

$8.76 ฿293

36.30%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$2.83 ฿94.5

90.46%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$0.90 ฿30.14

237.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.47 ฿15.56

431.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$2.55 ฿85.2

129.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 $7.80

$3.83 ฿128

103.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.73 ฿57.7

-46.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.47 ฿49.11

137.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.51 ฿50.6

94.04%

Eggs

$3.57 $3.57

$2.17 ฿72.7

64.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$19.70 ฿658

-48.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.30 $11.30

$3.34 ฿112

238.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.36 $14.36

$11.16 ฿373

28.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.85 ฿95.1

67.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.70 ฿56.9

-1.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.19 ฿73.3

103.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$2.05 ฿68.4

134.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.45 ฿48.57

89.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.38 ฿46.16

123.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.07 ฿35.69

43.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.51 ฿16.91

192.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.86 $10.86

$4.26 ฿142

154.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 $12.14

$18.58 ฿621

-34.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.78 ฿59.7

-4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.85 ฿95.2

53.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.26 ฿75.6

-9.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.10 $40.10

$22.10 ฿738

81.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.01 ฿101

35.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.06 ฿35.34

93.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.25 $44.25

$3.86 ฿129

1046.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.45 ฿48.45

-24.83%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-5.23%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-6.60%

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

$173 $173

$96.4 ฿3,221

79.55%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$11.04 ฿369

361.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 $54.9

$17.14 ฿573

220.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.70 $41.70

$52.2 ฿1,744

-20.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.19 $8.19

$11.16 ฿373

-26.61%

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 $15.23

$7.81 ฿261

95.01%

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

$1,505 $1,505

$556 ฿18.6K

170.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

101.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 $56.8

$64.2 ฿2,146

-11.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.21 $45.21

$28.69 ฿959

57.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 $98.2

$95.4 ฿3,187

2.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$88.0 ฿2,940

15.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 $1,616

$737 ฿24.6K

119.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$462 ฿15.5K

178.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,495 $2,495

$2,095 ฿70.0K

19.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,185 $2,185

$1,201 ฿40.1K

82.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-21.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,365 $2,365

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-6.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,119 $7,119

$501 ฿16.7K

1321.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

5.57

15.44%

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

Last update for Streamwood, IL: 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

Streamwood, IL

$1.3K 51.1%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 64.1% $824

Groceries & Markets

Streamwood, IL

$356 14.1%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 24.5% $87

Eating Out

Streamwood, IL

$326 13%

Phuket

$121 10% 62.9% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Streamwood, IL

$279 11.1%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 55.3% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Streamwood, IL

$136 5.4%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 8.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Streamwood, IL

$72 2.9%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 6.1% $4.4

Getting Around

Streamwood, IL

$63 2.5%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 37% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,616 in Streamwood, IL and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Streamwood, IL pays 1322% 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: $76.0 in Streamwood, IL vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Streamwood, IL

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

10:16 10:16 AM

12 h ahead of Streamwood, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,535

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 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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Streamwood, IL Phuket 14,430 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Streamwood, IL
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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1322% higher in Streamwood, 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: $1,616 in Streamwood, IL versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,505 in Streamwood, IL versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Streamwood, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,519 in Streamwood, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Streamwood, 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 Streamwood, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Streamwood, 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 108% less than in Streamwood, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.