Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waunakee, WI and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,659 in Waunakee, WI, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Waunakee, WI
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Waunakee, WI Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Waunakee, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,659

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,659 in Waunakee, WI versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Waunakee, WI $2,659
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,964 in Waunakee, WI versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Waunakee, WI $3,964
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,268 in Waunakee, WI versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Waunakee, WI $5,268
Phuket $3,115

Living in Waunakee, WI is roughly 106% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Waunakee, WI is 97% above, Phuket is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 $20.31

$4.39 ฿147

362.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 $80.3

$32.31 ฿1,085

148.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 $13.18

$8.70 ฿292

51.49%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$2.72 ฿91.5

108.82%

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

$3.11 $3.11

$0.93 ฿31.25

234.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$0.50 ฿16.78

358.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.51 $6.51

$2.53 ฿85.0

157.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 $7.43

$3.63 ฿122

104.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.74 ฿58.4

-47.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.45 ฿48.73

156.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.50 ฿50.5

181.33%

Eggs

$3.69 $3.69

$2.17 ฿73.0

70.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.47 $13.47

$19.09 ฿641

-29.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.13 $12.13

$3.40 ฿114

256.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.49 $18.49

$10.90 ฿366

69.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.94 ฿98.8

55.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.69 ฿56.8

-5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.19 ฿73.7

85.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.12 ฿71.4

116.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.46 ฿48.99

86.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.37 ฿45.95

102.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.08 ฿36.14

90.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.55 ฿18.32

314.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.95 $10.95

$4.43 ฿149

147.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$18.25 ฿613

-17.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.77 ฿59.5

43.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.88 ฿96.8

15.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.45 ฿48.62

24.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.9 $56.9

$54.9 ฿1,844

3.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.51 ฿50.8

121.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.78 ฿26.06

119.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.65 $24.65

$3.84 ฿129

541.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.49 ฿49.96

-26.17%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$26.9K ฿902.9K

12.25%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.3K ฿884.9K

-2.48%

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

$197 $197

$97.8 ฿3,285

101.57%

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

$70.7 $70.7

$11.29 ฿379

526.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 $69.6

$17.19 ฿577

304.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.76 $40.76

$68.3 ฿2,295

-40.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$15.20 $15.20

$7.43 ฿250

104.58%

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

$1,588 $1,588

$530 ฿17.8K

199.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$18.8K ฿630.9K

14.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 $62.1

$61.7 ฿2,072

0.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.41 $46.41

$28.25 ฿949

64.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$96.0 ฿3,225

10.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$86.8 ฿2,916

42.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,518 $1,518

$721 ฿24.2K

110.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 $1,279

$509 ฿17.1K

151.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,336 $2,336

$1,950 ฿65.5K

19.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,218 $2,218

$1,397 ฿46.9K

58.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,030 $3,030

$4,192 ฿140.8K

-27.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 $2,649

$3,298 ฿110.8K

-19.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

5.57

21.72%

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

Last update for Waunakee, WI: October 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waunakee, WI

$1.3K 48.1%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 60.2% $770

Groceries & Markets

Waunakee, WI

$405 15.2%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 34% $138

Eating Out

Waunakee, WI

$339 12.8%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 64.7% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waunakee, WI

$337 12.7%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 62.6% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Waunakee, WI

$152 5.7%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 19.3% $29

Getting Around

Waunakee, WI

$76 2.9%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 13.1% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Waunakee, WI

$71 2.7%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 16.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,518 in Waunakee, WI and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80 in Waunakee, WI vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $267 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waunakee, WI

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

09:31 9:31 AM

22:31 10:31 PM

13 h ahead of Waunakee, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,879

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Waunakee, WI Phuket 14,280 km ≈ 18 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

Waunakee, WI vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 51% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,989 in Waunakee, WI and $1,940 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,518 in Waunakee, WI versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,588 in Waunakee, WI 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 52% higher in Waunakee, WI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,659 in Waunakee, WI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Waunakee, WI. 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, Waunakee, WI 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 51% less than in Waunakee, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.