Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vacaville, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $3,635 in Vacaville, CA, rent and utilities included – about $29,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

177

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

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Vacaville, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,635

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,635 in Vacaville, CA versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Vacaville, CA $3,635
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,771 in Vacaville, CA versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Vacaville, CA $4,771
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,907 in Vacaville, CA versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Vacaville, CA $5,907
Phuket $2,845

Living in Vacaville, CA is roughly 201% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vacaville, CA is 168% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 $20.25

$4.40 ฿147

360.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.54 $45.54

$32.26 ฿1,078

41.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.24 $13.24

$8.76 ฿293

51.14%

Cappuccino

$5.98 $5.98

$2.83 ฿94.5

111.31%

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

$3.11 $3.11

$0.90 ฿30.14

245.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$0.47 ฿15.56

485.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 $7.13

$2.55 ฿85.2

179.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$3.83 ฿128

81.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.73 ฿57.7

-1.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.83 $4.83

$1.47 ฿49.11

228.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$1.51 ฿50.6

223.84%

Eggs

$4.85 $4.85

$2.17 ฿72.7

123.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.50 $16.50

$19.70 ฿658

-16.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.34 $15.34

$3.34 ฿112

359.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.83 $22.83

$11.16 ฿373

104.57%

Apples (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$2.85 ฿95.1

113.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.70 ฿56.9

13.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.19 ฿73.3

85.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$2.05 ฿68.4

229.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.45 ฿48.57

108.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.38 ฿46.16

160.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.07 ฿35.69

161.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.51 ฿16.91

415.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.09 $12.09

$4.26 ฿142

183.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 $14.43

$18.58 ฿621

-22.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.78 ฿59.7

73.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.85 ฿95.2

28.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.01 ฿101

41.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.06 ฿35.34

95.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.61 $38.61

$3.86 ฿129

900.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.45 ฿48.45

4.14%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

32.12%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-3.42%

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

$211 $211

$96.4 ฿3,221

118.99%

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

$60.3 $60.3

$11.04 ฿369

446.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.8 $76.8

$17.14 ฿573

347.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.20 $45.20

$52.2 ฿1,744

-13.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$17.82 $17.82

$7.81 ฿261

128.17%

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

$2,963 $2,963

$556 ฿18.6K

433.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.1K $43.1K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

272.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 $74.7

$64.2 ฿2,146

16.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.57 $48.57

$28.69 ฿959

69.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$95.4 ฿3,187

5.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$88.0 ฿2,940

59.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,349 $2,349

$737 ฿24.6K

218.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,179 $2,179

$462 ฿15.5K

371.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,901 $2,901

$2,095 ฿70.0K

38.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,865 $2,865

$1,201 ฿40.1K

138.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,750 $3,750

$3,488 ฿116.6K

7.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,315 $5,315

$501 ฿16.7K

961.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

5.57

21.36%

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

Last update for Vacaville, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vacaville, CA

$2.2K 60%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 78.8% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Vacaville, CA

$502 13.8%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 46.4% $233

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vacaville, CA

$348 9.6%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 64.2% $224

Eating Out

Vacaville, CA

$346 9.5%

Phuket

$121 10% 65% $225

Clothing & Footwear

Vacaville, CA

$164 4.5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 24.3% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Vacaville, CA

$81 2.2%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 16.1% $13

Getting Around

Vacaville, CA

$15 * 0.4%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 170% $25

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 $2,349 in Vacaville, CA and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vacaville, CA pays 961% 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: $46.00 in Vacaville, CA vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $502 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Vacaville, CA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

17:49 5:49 PM

14 h ahead of Vacaville, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,670

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 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 →

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Vacaville, CA Phuket 13,390 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 201% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 961% higher in Vacaville, 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: $2,349 in Vacaville, CA versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,963 in Vacaville, 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 $46.00 in Vacaville, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $3,635 in Vacaville, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vacaville, 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 Vacaville, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Vacaville, 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 201% less than in Vacaville, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.