Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valdez, AK and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,943 in Valdez, AK, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Valdez, AK
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Valdez, AK Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Valdez, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,943

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,943 in Valdez, AK versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Valdez, AK $2,943
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,126 in Valdez, AK versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Valdez, AK $4,126
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,310 in Valdez, AK versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Valdez, AK $5,310
Phuket $3,115

Living in Valdez, AK is roughly 127% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Valdez, AK is 118% above, Phuket is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.24 $23.24

$4.39 ฿148

429.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$32.31 ฿1,086

214.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.05 $20.05

$8.70 ฿293

130.46%

Cappuccino

$4.28 $4.28

$2.72 ฿91.6

57.35%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$0.93 ฿31.28

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$0.50 ฿16.79

362.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 $6.84

$2.53 ฿85.1

170.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.74 $8.74

$3.63 ฿122

140.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.74 ฿58.5

-41.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$1.45 ฿48.77

152.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$1.50 ฿50.5

190.00%

Eggs

$4.29 $4.29

$2.17 ฿73.0

97.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 $12.67

$19.09 ฿642

-33.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 $11.46

$3.40 ฿114

237.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.01 $17.01

$10.90 ฿366

56.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.94 ฿98.9

73.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.69 ฿56.9

-4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$2.19 ฿73.8

95.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.12 ฿71.4

124.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.46 ฿49.03

99.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.37 ฿45.99

112.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.08 ฿36.17

104.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.55 ฿18.34

318.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.34 $10.34

$4.43 ฿149

133.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$18.25 ฿614

-16.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.77 ฿59.6

14.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.88 ฿96.8

17.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.45 ฿48.66

36.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.7 $67.7

$54.9 ฿1,845

23.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.51 ฿50.9

152.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.78 ฿26.08

103.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 $32.19

$3.84 ฿129

738.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.49 ฿50.0

-11.41%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.9K ฿903.7K

-2.43%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$26.3K ฿885.7K

4.24%

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

$300 $300

$97.8 ฿3,288

207.18%

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

$56.7 $56.7

$11.29 ฿380

402.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$97.7 $97.7

$17.19 ฿578

468.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 $40.05

$68.3 ฿2,297

-41.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$14.02 $14.02

$7.43 ฿250

88.69%

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

$1,469 $1,469

$530 ฿17.8K

176.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K $19.4K

$18.8K ฿631.4K

3.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 $55.8

$61.7 ฿2,073

-9.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.42 $44.42

$28.25 ฿950

57.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 $89.1

$96.0 ฿3,228

-7.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$86.8 ฿2,919

49.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$721 ฿24.2K

124.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 $1,419

$509 ฿17.1K

178.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 $2,669

$1,950 ฿65.6K

36.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,997 $1,997

$1,397 ฿47.0K

42.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$4,192 ฿140.9K

-23.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,403 $2,403

$3,298 ฿110.9K

-27.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,408 $7,408

$492 ฿16.5K

1406.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

5.57

18.31%

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

Last update for Valdez, AK: 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

Valdez, AK

$1.4K 48.2%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 64.1% $910

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Valdez, AK

$455 15.5%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 72.2% $329

Groceries & Markets

Valdez, AK

$402 13.7%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 33.6% $135

Eating Out

Valdez, AK

$368 12.5%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 67.5% $249

Clothing & Footwear

Valdez, AK

$143 4.9%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 14.4% $21

Getting Around

Valdez, AK

$87 3%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 24.4% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Valdez, AK

$68 2.3%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 22.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,618 in Valdez, AK and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valdez, AK pays about 15 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $102 in Valdez, AK vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $402 vs $267 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Valdez, AK

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

13:14 1:14 PM

05:14 5:14 AM

16 h ahead of Valdez, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,000

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Valdez, AK Phuket 10,540 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Valdez, AK
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

Valdez, AK vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 56% 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 Valdez, AK is about 15 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: $1,618 in Valdez, AK versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,469 in Valdez, AK 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 51% higher in Valdez, AK. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,943 in Valdez, AK, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Valdez, AK. 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, Valdez, AK 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 56% less than in Valdez, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.