Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between University Place, WA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,876 in University Place, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in University Place, WA
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University Place, WA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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University Place, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,876

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,876 in University Place, WA versus $1,294 in Phuket.

University Place, WA $2,876
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,279 in University Place, WA versus $2,204 in Phuket.

University Place, WA $4,279
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,682 in University Place, WA versus $3,115 in Phuket.

University Place, WA $5,682
Phuket $3,115

Living in University Place, WA is roughly 122% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: University Place, WA is 113% above, Phuket is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.38 $23.38

$4.39 ฿147

432.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$32.31 ฿1,078

211.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$8.70 ฿290

39.66%

Cappuccino

$6.08 $6.08

$2.72 ฿90.9

123.53%

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

$3.12 $3.12

$0.93 ฿31.06

235.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$0.50 ฿16.67

528.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 $7.93

$2.53 ฿84.5

213.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 $7.86

$3.63 ฿121

116.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.74 ฿58.1

-36.78%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 $4.05

$1.45 ฿48.42

179.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$1.50 ฿50.1

296.67%

Eggs

$4.97 $4.97

$2.17 ฿72.5

129.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.11 $16.11

$19.09 ฿637

-15.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.19 $18.19

$3.40 ฿113

435.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.33 $23.33

$10.90 ฿364

114.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$2.94 ฿98.2

101.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.69 ฿56.5

4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$2.19 ฿73.2

153.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.12 ฿70.9

111.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.46 ฿48.68

138.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.37 ฿45.66

105.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.08 ฿35.91

81.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$0.55 ฿18.21

456.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.43 $12.43

$4.43 ฿148

180.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.17 $18.17

$18.25 ฿609

-0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.77 ฿59.2

-1.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.88 ฿96.2

71.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.45 ฿48.32

46.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 $65.8

$54.9 ฿1,832

19.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.51 ฿50.5

76.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.78 ฿25.90

117.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.49 $30.49

$3.84 ฿128

694.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.49 ฿49.65

-2.68%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$26.9K ฿897.3K

3.80%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.3K ฿879.4K

0.56%

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

$233 $233

$97.8 ฿3,265

138.24%

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

$68.7 $68.7

$11.29 ฿377

508.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.6 $88.6

$17.19 ฿574

415.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.56 $39.56

$68.3 ฿2,281

-42.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

Cinema Ticket

$17.88 $17.88

$7.43 ฿248

140.65%

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

$2,087 $2,087

$530 ฿17.7K

293.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K $27.9K

$18.8K ฿626.9K

48.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 $60.3

$61.7 ฿2,059

-2.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.90 $44.90

$28.25 ฿943

58.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 $130

$96.0 ฿3,204

35.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$86.8 ฿2,898

46.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 $1,573

$721 ฿24.1K

118.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 $1,280

$509 ฿17.0K

151.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,599 $2,599

$1,950 ฿65.1K

33.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 $2,111

$1,397 ฿46.6K

51.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,918 $2,918

$4,192 ฿139.9K

-30.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,644 $2,644

$3,298 ฿110.1K

-19.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,149 $8,149

$492 ฿16.4K

1557.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

5.57

19.21%

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

Last update for University Place, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

University Place, WA

$1.3K 44.5%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 60.2% $771

Groceries & Markets

University Place, WA

$505 17.6%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 47.1% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

University Place, WA

$390 13.6%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 67.6% $264

Eating Out

University Place, WA

$377 13.1%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 68.3% $257

Clothing & Footwear

University Place, WA

$163 5.7%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 24.7% $40

Getting Around

University Place, WA

$85 3%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 22.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

University Place, WA

$75 2.6%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 10.4% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in University Place, WA and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

University Place, WA pays about 17 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in University Place, WA vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $505 vs $267 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 University Place, WA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:59 3:59 PM

06:59 6:59 AM

15 h ahead of University Place, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,866

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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University Place, WA Phuket 12,680 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

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University Place, WA
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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

University Place, WA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 55% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in University Place, WA is about 17 times higher, 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: $1,573 in University Place, WA versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,087 in University Place, WA versus $530 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in University Place, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,876 in University Place, WA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in University Place, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, University Place, WA and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in University Place, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.