Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tracy, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,327 in Tracy, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Tracy, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,327
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,327 in Tracy, CA versus $1,207 in Phuket.

  • Tracy, CA $2,327
  • Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Tracy, CA versus $2,037 in Phuket.

  • Tracy, CA $2,585
  • Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,843 in Tracy, CA versus $2,867 in Phuket.

  • Tracy, CA $2,843
  • Phuket $2,867

Living in Tracy, CA is roughly 93% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tracy, CA is 72% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tracy, CA
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.75 $19.75
$4.58 ฿153
331.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.9 $50.9
$32.48 ฿1,086
56.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.10 $10.10
$8.55 ฿286
18.13%
Cappuccino
$4.52 $4.52
$2.72 ฿91.0
66.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 $3.12
$0.94 ฿31.25
231.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 $1.81
$0.49 ฿16.39
269.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.10 $6.10
$2.59 ฿86.6
135.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.44 $7.44
$3.83 ฿128
94.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tracy, CA
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 $1.34
$1.74 ฿58.1
-22.99%
White Bread (500g)
$4.19 $4.19
$1.43 ฿47.82
193.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.50 $5.50
$1.53 ฿51.0
259.48%
Eggs
$3.42 $3.42
$2.17 ฿72.7
57.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.30 $16.30
$19.15 ฿640
-14.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.11 $11.11
$3.30 ฿110
236.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.47 $15.47
$11.14 ฿372
38.87%
Apples (1kg)
$4.45 $4.45
$2.95 ฿98.5
50.85%
Banana (1kg)
$2.26 $2.26
$1.68 ฿56.1
34.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.36 $4.36
$2.30 ฿76.8
89.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.36 $4.36
$2.13 ฿71.3
104.69%
Potato (1kg)
$2.21 $2.21
$1.53 ฿51.1
44.44%
Onion (1kg)
$3.23 $3.23
$1.36 ฿45.55
137.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.12 ฿37.44
82.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 $2.01
$0.55 ฿18.24
265.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.91 $11.91
$4.26 ฿142
179.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.06 $13.06
$18.19 ฿608
-28.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 $2.10
$1.74 ฿58.2
20.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 $2.75
$2.79 ฿93.3
-1.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Tracy, CA
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.22 ฿74.1
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.6 $64.6
$22.06 ฿737
192.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.44 $2.44
$2.91 ฿97.3
-16.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.85 $1.85
$1.01 ฿33.79
83.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.48 $29.48
$3.83 ฿128
669.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.49 ฿49.85
-2.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.3K $37.3K
$26.7K ฿891.6K
39.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$26.7K ฿892.7K
-3.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tracy, CA
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$179 $179
$99.4 ฿3,321
79.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.6 $50.6
$11.28 ฿377
348.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.7 $75.7
$17.36 ฿580
336.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tracy, CA
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$52.3 ฿1,747
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.85 ฿362
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.93 $14.93
$7.57 ฿253
97.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tracy, CA
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,471 $2,471
$558 ฿18.7K
342.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.4K $35.4K
$11.5K ฿383.9K
208.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tracy, CA
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.4 $71.4
$62.9 ฿2,102
13.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$72.0 $72.0
$28.58 ฿955
151.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.8 $95.8
$96.1 ฿3,213
-0.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$233 $233
$88.1 ฿2,943
164.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tracy, CA
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,775 $1,775
$729 ฿24.4K
143.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$991 $991
$460 ฿15.4K
115.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,096 ฿70.0K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,222 ฿40.8K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,758 $3,758
$3,459 ฿115.6K
8.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,489 ฿83.2K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tracy, CA
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,739 $5,739
$493 ฿16.5K
1063.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.62
5.57
18.85%

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

Last update for Tracy, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tracy, CA
$991
Phuket
$460 53.6% $531
Groceries & Markets
Tracy, CA
$404
Phuket
$268 33.8% $137
Eating Out
Tracy, CA
$308
Phuket
$121 60.6% $186
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tracy, CA
$305
Phuket
$128 58% $177
Clothing & Footwear
Tracy, CA
$212
Phuket
$124 41.6% $88
Getting Around
Tracy, CA
$76 *
Phuket
$39 49% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Tracy, CA
$30 *
Phuket
$67 126% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,775 in Tracy, CA and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tracy, CA pays 1064% 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: $51.0 in Tracy, CA vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Tracy, CA
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
15:35 3:35 PM
05:35 5:35 AM
14 h ahead of Tracy, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
98,337
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tracy, CA Phuket 13,470 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tracy, CA
  • 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
Tracy, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Tracy, CA?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Tracy, CA or Phuket?
Average pay runs 1064% higher in Tracy, CA, 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 Tracy, CA and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,775 in Tracy, CA versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $2,471 in Tracy, CA versus $558 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 Tracy, CA and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Tracy, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Tracy, CA or in Phuket?
At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,327 in Tracy, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tracy, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Tracy, CA or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tracy, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Tracy, CA or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Tracy, 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Tracy, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Tracy, CA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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