😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,951 in Texas City, TX versus $1,261 in Phuket.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,695 in Texas City, TX versus $2,276 in Phuket.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,439 in Texas City, TX versus $3,291 in Phuket.
🌍Living in Texas City, TX is roughly 55% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Texas City, TX is 46% above, Phuket is 6% below.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Texas City, TX
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.50$17.50
$4.53฿153
286.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.5$59.5
$46.36฿1,565
28.30%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.99$9.99
$8.65฿292
15.49%
Cappuccino
$4.12$4.12
$3.09฿104
33.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27$1.27
$0.68฿22.89
86.76%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94$1.94
$0.37฿12.44
424.32%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.76$4.76
$2.42฿81.6
96.69%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.08$7.08
$3.81฿129
85.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Texas City, TX
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.78$0.78
$2.18฿73.5
-64.22%
White Bread(500g)
$2.67$2.67
$1.82฿61.3
46.70%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.34$3.34
$2.18฿73.5
53.21%
Eggs
$4.10$4.10
$2.24฿75.4
83.04%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$6.41$6.41
$19.93฿673
-67.84%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.53$10.53
$3.64฿123
189.29%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.33$10.33
$13.56฿458
-23.82%
Apples(1kg)
$5.03$5.03
$3.29฿111
52.89%
Banana(1kg)
$1.55$1.55
$1.69฿56.9
-8.28%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.39$4.39
$2.33฿78.8
88.41%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.95$3.95
$2.03฿68.4
94.58%
Potato(1kg)
$2.75$2.75
$1.60฿54.0
71.87%
Onion(1kg)
$2.74$2.74
$1.49฿50.5
83.89%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.01$2.01
$1.01฿34.17
99.01%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16$2.16
$0.48฿16.09
350.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$7.88$7.88
$4.45฿150
77.08%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.26$10.26
$18.63฿629
-44.93%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36$2.36
$1.79฿60.3
31.84%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.47$3.47
$2.80฿94.4
23.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Texas City, TX
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.99$0.99
$1.42฿47.90
-30.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$40.62$40.62
$11.33฿382
258.52%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.27$4.27
$3.09฿104
38.19%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.82$1.82
$1.04฿35.19
75.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$19.94$19.94
$13.63฿460
46.29%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.72$0.72
$1.31฿44.23
-45.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.0K$25.0K
$27.3K฿920.7K
-8.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K$25.8K
$33.2K฿1.1M
-22.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Texas City, TX
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$176$176
$123฿4,157
42.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.43$25.43
$13.81฿466
84.14%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.9$65.9
$18.52฿625
255.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Texas City, TX
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$15.12$15.12
$60.4฿2,037
-74.95%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.80฿567
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.84$14.84
$8.89฿300
66.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Texas City, TX
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,197$1,197
$687฿23.2K
74.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$21.8K$21.8K
$15.6K฿524.8K
40.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Texas City, TX
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.9$54.9
$57.6฿1,945
-4.70%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.92$45.92
$34.66฿1,170
32.49%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$64.3$64.3
$115฿3,879
-44.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117$117
$84.9฿2,865
37.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Texas City, TX
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,086$1,086
$618฿20.8K
75.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$853$853
$443฿15.0K
92.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,521$1,521
$2,047฿69.1K
-25.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$991$991
$1,506฿50.8K
-34.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$9,096$9,096
$3,568฿120.4K
154.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$7,789$7,789
$2,511฿84.7K
210.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Texas City, TX
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$4,635$4,635
$503฿17.0K
822.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
6.45
5.33
21.01%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Texas City, TX: July 19, 2026
Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Texas City, TX and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Texas City, TX pays 822% 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: $59.0 in Texas City, TX vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 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
Texas City, TX vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Texas City, TX?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Texas City, TX or Phuket?
Average pay runs 822% higher in Texas City, TX, 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 Texas City, TX and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Texas City, TX versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,197 in Texas City, TX versus $687 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 Texas City, TX and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Texas City, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Texas City, TX or in Phuket?
At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,951 in Texas City, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Texas City, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Texas City, TX or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Texas City, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Texas City, TX or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Texas City, TX 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 55% less than in Texas City, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Texas City, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared