Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Turlock, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,780 in Turlock, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Turlock, CA
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Turlock, CA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Turlock, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,780

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,780 in Turlock, CA versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Turlock, CA $2,780
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,034 in Turlock, CA versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Turlock, CA $4,034
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,288 in Turlock, CA versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Turlock, CA $5,288
Phuket $2,845

Living in Turlock, CA is roughly 130% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Turlock, CA is 105% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.94 $24.94

$4.40 ฿147

466.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.6 $99.6

$32.26 ฿1,078

208.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 $12.84

$8.76 ฿293

46.58%

Cappuccino

$6.08 $6.08

$2.83 ฿94.5

114.84%

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

$4.38 $4.38

$0.90 ฿30.14

386.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 $3.98

$0.47 ฿15.56

746.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.10 $8.10

$2.55 ฿85.2

217.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.18 $9.18

$3.83 ฿128

139.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.73 ฿57.7

-21.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.47 ฿49.11

112.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.51 ฿50.6

56.95%

Eggs

$3.04 $3.04

$2.17 ฿72.7

40.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$19.70 ฿658

-35.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.37 $12.37

$3.34 ฿112

270.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.74 $19.74

$11.16 ฿373

76.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.85 ฿95.1

28.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.70 ฿56.9

-20.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.19 ฿73.3

74.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.05 ฿68.4

25.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.45 ฿48.57

81.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.38 ฿46.16

93.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.07 ฿35.69

89.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.51 ฿16.91

284.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.57 $11.57

$4.26 ฿142

171.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$18.58 ฿621

-20.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.78 ฿59.7

8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.85 ฿95.2

-32.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.26 ฿75.6

-1.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.01 ฿101

37.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.06 ฿35.34

85.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.91 $28.91

$3.86 ฿129

648.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.45 ฿48.45

0.69%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

6.49%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-14.17%

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

$264 $264

$96.4 ฿3,221

174.37%

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

$63.2 $63.2

$11.04 ฿369

472.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 $60.1

$17.14 ฿573

250.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.50 $47.50

$52.2 ฿1,744

-8.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$18.12 $18.12

$7.81 ฿261

132.01%

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

$1,427 $1,427

$556 ฿18.6K

156.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.5K $29.5K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

154.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 $62.1

$64.2 ฿2,146

-3.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.36 $47.36

$28.69 ฿959

65.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$95.4 ฿3,187

26.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$88.0 ฿2,940

55.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 $1,561

$737 ฿24.6K

111.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 $1,349

$462 ฿15.5K

191.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,713 $2,713

$2,095 ฿70.0K

29.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,097 $2,097

$1,201 ฿40.1K

74.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,629 $2,629

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-24.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,285 $2,285

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-9.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,406 $4,406

$501 ฿16.7K

780.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

5.57

17.24%

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

Last update for Turlock, CA: 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

Turlock, CA

$1.3K 48.5%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 65.7% $887

Eating Out

Turlock, CA

$403 14.5%

Phuket

$121 10% 69.9% $282

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Turlock, CA

$388 14%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 67.9% $263

Groceries & Markets

Turlock, CA

$368 13.2%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 27% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Turlock, CA

$165 5.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 24.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Turlock, CA

$84 3%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 19% $16

Getting Around

Turlock, CA

$23 * 0.8%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 72.4% $17

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 $1,561 in Turlock, CA and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turlock, CA pays 780% 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: $100 in Turlock, CA vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Turlock, CA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

03:16 3:16 AM

17:16 5:16 PM

14 h ahead of Turlock, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,504

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Turlock, CA Phuket 13,530 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Turlock, 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

Turlock, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 130% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 780% higher in Turlock, CA, 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: $1,561 in Turlock, CA versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,427 in Turlock, CA versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $100 in Turlock, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,780 in Turlock, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Turlock, CA. 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 Turlock, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Turlock, 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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 130% less than in Turlock, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.