Cost of Living Comparison Between Vallejo, CA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Vallejo, CA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,784 in Vallejo, CA versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,613 in Vallejo, CA versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,442 in Vallejo, CA versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Vallejo, CA is roughly 122% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vallejo, CA is 103% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.16 $27.16

$4.56 ฿150

495.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$32.62 ฿1,073

173.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 $11.86

$8.90 ฿293

33.26%

Cappuccino

$4.70 $4.70

$2.80 ฿92.2

67.86%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$0.88 ฿28.94

211.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$0.49 ฿16.08

485.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$2.39 ฿78.5

228.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.44 $8.44

$3.71 ฿122

127.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.79 ฿58.8

-16.76%

White Bread (500g)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.44 ฿47.40

204.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$1.58 ฿52.1

150.63%

Eggs

$5.01 $5.01

$2.13 ฿69.9

135.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.46 $19.46

$19.92 ฿655

-2.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.76 $13.76

$3.43 ฿113

301.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.23 $14.23

$11.33 ฿372

25.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.95 ฿97.0

48.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.72 ฿56.6

23.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$2.32 ฿76.5

122.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.85 $6.85

$2.08 ฿68.4

229.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$1.47 ฿48.34

163.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$1.36 ฿44.65

169.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.10 ฿36.13

171.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.57 ฿18.89

215.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.94 $9.94

$4.27 ฿140

132.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$18.42 ฿606

-45.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.87 ฿61.5

-8.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.92 ฿96.1

-21.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.22 ฿73.0

129.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 $68.8

$22.90 ฿753

200.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.03 ฿99.6

35.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.07 ฿35.32

74.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.26 $28.26

$3.93 ฿129

619.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.49 ฿49.06

-5.37%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

36.97%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

-8.20%

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

$141 $141

$103 ฿3,380

36.72%

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

$50.0 $50.0

$10.99 ฿361

354.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 $68.9

$17.51 ฿576

293.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.01 $37.01

$53.5 ฿1,760

-30.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 $13.11

$7.48 ฿246

75.27%

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

$698 $698

$557 ฿18.3K

25.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 $7,918

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-33.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.61 $42.61

$64.1 ฿2,107

-33.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 $41.55

$29.07 ฿956

42.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$96.0 ฿3,155

-10.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 $79.0

$90.3 ฿2,970

-12.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,642 $1,642

$730 ฿24.0K

124.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,479 $1,479

$500 ฿16.4K

195.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,279 $3,279

$2,090 ฿68.7K

56.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,225 $3,225

$1,209 ฿39.8K

166.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,697 $3,697

$3,596 ฿118.2K

2.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,808 $3,808

$2,512 ฿82.6K

51.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,158 $4,158

$503 ฿16.6K

726.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.12

5.57

9.87%

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

Last update for Vallejo, CA: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,642 in Vallejo, CA and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vallejo, CA pays 726% 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: $89.0 in Vallejo, CA vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $440 vs $273 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 122% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 726% higher in Vallejo, 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: $1,642 in Vallejo, CA versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Vallejo, CA versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Vallejo, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,784 in Vallejo, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vallejo, 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 Vallejo, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Vallejo, 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 122% less than in Vallejo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.