Cost of Living Comparison Between Surprise, AZ and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Surprise, AZ and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,726 in Surprise, AZ versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Surprise, AZ versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,499 in Surprise, AZ versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Surprise, AZ is roughly 121% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Surprise, AZ is 104% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.28 $20.28

$4.63 ฿151

338.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$46.84 ฿1,532

73.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 $12.01

$8.84 ฿289

35.86%

Cappuccino

$5.34 $5.34

$3.00 ฿98.0

78.00%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$0.74 ฿24.25

262.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.37 ฿11.95

489.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$2.44 ฿79.8

144.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 $7.06

$3.61 ฿118

95.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$2.26 ฿73.9

-61.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 $3.85

$1.84 ฿60.1

109.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$2.24 ฿73.4

137.50%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$2.32 ฿75.7

105.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.88 $11.88

$19.67 ฿643

-39.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.93 $11.93

$3.65 ฿119

226.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.75 $14.75

$13.10 ฿428

12.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.39 ฿111

41.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.64 ฿53.7

18.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.41 ฿79.0

61.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$2.03 ฿66.4

103.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.56 ฿50.9

58.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.50 ฿48.94

63.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.02 ฿33.50

84.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.49 ฿16.00

383.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 $11.66

$4.45 ฿145

162.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.01 $15.01

$18.88 ฿617

-20.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.78 ฿58.1

17.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.75 ฿90.1

42.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.40 ฿45.81

180.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.8 $79.8

$11.48 ฿376

594.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.12 ฿102

-9.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.00 ฿32.67

39.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.43 $35.43

$14.09 ฿461

151.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.35 ฿44.19

-28.15%

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

$30.9K $30.9K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

13.56%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.14%

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

$259 $259

$125 ฿4,087

107.40%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$13.57 ฿444

423.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 $80.9

$18.52 ฿606

336.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 $61.2

$61.5 ฿2,010

-0.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 $12.92

$9.19 ฿300

40.59%

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

$1,103 $1,103

$698 ฿22.8K

57.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K $15.5K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-0.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 $55.4

$57.8 ฿1,889

-4.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.57 $39.57

$35.24 ฿1,152

12.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 $83.1

$113 ฿3,699

-26.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$86.4 ฿2,825

22.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 $1,673

$616 ฿20.1K

171.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 $1,276

$446 ฿14.6K

186.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,384 $2,384

$2,048 ฿67.0K

16.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,417 $2,417

$1,492 ฿48.8K

61.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,588 $1,588

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-40.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,188 $4,188

$524 ฿17.1K

699.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

5.33

21.20%

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

Last update for Surprise, AZ: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Surprise, AZ and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surprise, AZ pays 699% 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: $81.0 in Surprise, AZ vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $395 vs $292 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

Surprise, AZ vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 121% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Surprise, AZ pays 699% more on average, 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: $1,673 in Surprise, AZ versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,103 in Surprise, AZ versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Surprise, AZ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,726 in Surprise, AZ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Surprise, AZ. 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 Surprise, AZ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Surprise, AZ 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 121% less than in Surprise, AZ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.