๐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,588 in The Dalles, OR versus $1,232 in Phuket.
๐Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in The Dalles, OR versus $2,255 in Phuket.
๐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,126 in The Dalles, OR versus $3,279 in Phuket.
๐Living in The Dalles, OR is roughly 110% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.
๐The two cities straddle the global median: The Dalles, OR is 93% above, Phuket is 8% below.
Currency
๐ฝ Eating Out
The Dalles, OR
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.79$27.79
$4.63เธฟ150
500.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.8$69.8
$46.84เธฟ1,515
49.08%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$12.07$12.07
$8.84เธฟ286
36.54%
Cappuccino
$6.14$6.14
$3.00เธฟ96.9
104.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29$3.29
$0.74เธฟ23.98
344.59%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67$2.67
$0.37เธฟ11.82
621.62%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.15$7.15
$2.44เธฟ78.9
193.03%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.85$5.85
$3.61เธฟ117
62.05%
๐ Groceries & Markets
The Dalles, OR
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.01$1.01
$2.26เธฟ73.1
-55.31%
White Bread(500g)
$3.30$3.30
$1.84เธฟ59.5
79.35%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$4.31$4.31
$2.24เธฟ72.6
92.41%
Eggs
$3.06$3.06
$2.32เธฟ74.9
31.90%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$17.56$17.56
$19.67เธฟ636
-10.73%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.33$10.33
$3.65เธฟ118
183.01%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.85$10.85
$13.10เธฟ424
-17.18%
Apples(1kg)
$6.55$6.55
$3.39เธฟ110
93.22%
Banana(1kg)
$1.62$1.62
$1.64เธฟ53.1
-1.22%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.29$4.29
$2.41เธฟ78.1
78.01%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.33$4.33
$2.03เธฟ65.6
113.30%
Potato(1kg)
$3.01$3.01
$1.56เธฟ50.3
92.95%
Onion(1kg)
$2.65$2.65
$1.50เธฟ48.40
76.67%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.45$2.45
$1.02เธฟ33.13
140.20%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.03$2.03
$0.49เธฟ15.82
314.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$12.38$12.38
$4.45เธฟ144
178.20%
Wine(Bottle)
$14.86$14.86
$18.88เธฟ610
-21.29%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94$1.94
$1.78เธฟ57.4
8.99%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.63$4.63
$2.75เธฟ89.1
68.36%
๐ Getting Around
The Dalles, OR
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.95$1.95
$1.40เธฟ45.31
39.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.28$44.28
$11.48เธฟ371
285.71%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.13$5.13
$3.12เธฟ101
64.42%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.23$1.23
$1.00เธฟ32.31
23.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$51.5$51.5
$14.09เธฟ456
265.51%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.17$1.17
$1.35เธฟ43.70
-13.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.6K$35.6K
$27.2Kเธฟ879.1K
31.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K$25.8K
$32.9Kเธฟ1.1M
-21.57%
๐งพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
The Dalles, OR
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$121$121
$125เธฟ4,042
-3.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$61.6$61.6
$13.57เธฟ439
353.94%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.6$70.6
$18.52เธฟ599
281.16%
๐ Sport & Entertainment
The Dalles, OR
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$43.58$43.58
$61.5เธฟ1,988
-29.12%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.84เธฟ545
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.22$11.22
$9.19เธฟ297
22.09%
๐งธ Childcare & Education
The Dalles, OR
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$994$994
$698เธฟ22.6K
42.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$23.4K$23.4K
$15.6Kเธฟ504.3K
50.23%
๐๐ Clothing & Footwear
The Dalles, OR
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.54$39.54
$57.8เธฟ1,868
-31.54%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.62$34.62
$35.24เธฟ1,140
-1.76%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$60.1$60.1
$113เธฟ3,658
-46.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.7$80.7
$86.4เธฟ2,793
-6.60%
๐ Accommodation & Living
The Dalles, OR
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,630$1,630
$616เธฟ19.9K
164.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,367$1,367
$446เธฟ14.4K
206.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,625$2,625
$2,048เธฟ66.2K
28.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,261$2,261
$1,492เธฟ48.3K
51.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,643$2,643
$3,779เธฟ122.2K
-30.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,290$2,290
$2,649เธฟ85.7K
-13.54%
๐ต Salaries & Financials
The Dalles, OR
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$524เธฟ16.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
6.66
5.33
24.95%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for The Dalles, OR: April 26, 2026
Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
๐ A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,630 in The Dalles, OR and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
๐Dining out: $70 in The Dalles, OR vs $47 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 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
The Dalles, OR vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than The Dalles, OR?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $3,882 in The Dalles, OR and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between The Dalles, OR and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,630 in The Dalles, OR versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $994 in The Dalles, OR versus $698 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 The Dalles, OR and Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in The Dalles, OR. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for The Dalles, OR or Phuket?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,588 in The Dalles, OR, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in The Dalles, OR. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is The Dalles, OR or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in The Dalles, OR, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, The Dalles, OR or Phuket?
Safety-wise, The Dalles, OR 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 โ expenses run 110% less than in The Dalles, OR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
The Dalles, OR vs other spots: cost of living compared