Cost of Living Comparison Between Wichita, KS and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Wichita, KS and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Wichita, KS versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,449 in Wichita, KS versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,681 in Wichita, KS versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Wichita, KS is roughly 77% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Wichita, KS is 66% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.32 $20.32

$4.55 ฿153

346.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 $54.0

$46.18 ฿1,557

16.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 $9.81

$8.84 ฿298

10.97%

Cappuccino

$4.71 $4.71

$3.06 ฿103

53.92%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$0.73 ฿24.46

242.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$0.40 ฿13.42

335.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.43 ฿82.0

123.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 $5.84

$3.78 ฿127

54.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.26 ฿76.2

-58.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.81 ฿61.0

102.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.25 ฿76.0

95.11%

Eggs

$3.81 $3.81

$2.25 ฿75.7

69.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 $9.51

$19.51 ฿658

-51.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 $10.61

$3.65 ฿123

190.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.55 $17.55

$13.05 ฿440

34.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$3.23 ฿109

75.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.62 ฿54.5

2.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.38 ฿80.3

115.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.03 ฿68.3

131.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.53 ฿51.7

74.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.50 ฿50.6

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.98 ฿32.99

101.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.52 ฿17.43

240.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.61 $9.61

$4.44 ฿150

116.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 $15.03

$18.32 ฿618

-17.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.86 ฿62.8

18.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.68 ฿90.4

45.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.41 ฿47.57

22.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.4 $55.4

$11.70 ฿394

373.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.11 ฿105

-21.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.04 ฿35.14

51.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.75 $26.75

$14.11 ฿476

89.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.31 ฿44.20

-38.93%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$27.8K ฿937.7K

0.45%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-27.81%

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

$323 $323

$122 ฿4,127

163.69%

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

$56.1 $56.1

$13.59 ฿458

312.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$18.70 ฿630

296.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.68 $46.68

$60.5 ฿2,039

-22.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.96 $19.96

$16.98 ฿573

17.55%

Cinema Ticket

$13.02 $13.02

$9.07 ฿306

43.55%

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

$918 $918

$706 ฿23.8K

29.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$15.8K ฿532.8K

3.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.20 $45.20

$58.6 ฿1,974

-22.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.52 $39.52

$35.36 ฿1,192

11.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$115 ฿3,892

-3.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$83.7 ฿2,823

32.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 $970

$626 ฿21.1K

55.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 $776

$445 ฿15.0K

74.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$2,040 ฿68.8K

-6.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 $1,816

$1,492 ฿50.3K

21.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,537 $1,537

$3,483 ฿117.4K

-55.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,499 $1,499

$2,577 ฿86.9K

-41.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,544 $3,544

$500 ฿16.8K

609.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

5.33

22.33%

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

Last update for Wichita, KS: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Wichita, KS and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wichita, KS pays 609% 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: $54.0 in Wichita, KS vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $289 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

Wichita, KS vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 609% higher in Wichita, KS, 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: $970 in Wichita, KS versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $918 in Wichita, KS versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Wichita, KS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,217 in Wichita, KS, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wichita, KS. 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 Wichita, KS, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Wichita, KS 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 77% less than in Wichita, KS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.