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: $2,165 in Wichita, KS versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,401 in Wichita, KS versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,636 in Wichita, KS versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Wichita, KS is roughly 71% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Wichita, KS is 62% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.67 $19.67

$4.70 ฿154

318.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.1 $56.1

$45.37 ฿1,488

23.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 $10.03

$8.43 ฿276

18.98%

Cappuccino

$4.66 $4.66

$2.93 ฿96.0

59.04%

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

$2.41 $2.41

$0.69 ฿22.48

249.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.37 ฿12.04

367.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.41 ฿79.0

123.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.72 ฿122

59.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$2.23 ฿73.2

-61.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.83 ฿60.1

103.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.17 ฿71.1

99.08%

Eggs

$3.96 $3.96

$2.21 ฿72.6

79.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.92 $9.92

$19.74 ฿647

-49.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.66 $10.66

$3.63 ฿119

193.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.58 $17.58

$13.53 ฿444

29.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$3.28 ฿107

68.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.61 ฿52.8

3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.41 ฿79.0

111.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.08 ฿68.3

115.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.53 ฿50.1

69.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.48 ฿48.56

78.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.99 ฿32.42

111.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$0.51 ฿16.73

258.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 $9.22

$4.41 ฿144

109.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 $15.17

$19.38 ฿636

-21.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.78 ฿58.3

26.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.71 ฿88.9

38.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.37 ฿44.96

24.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 $54.4

$11.39 ฿374

377.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.02 ฿99.0

-16.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.99 ฿32.61

58.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.48 $26.48

$14.10 ฿462

87.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.36 ฿44.68

-41.18%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$28.2K ฿924.7K

-1.97%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-26.65%

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

$326 $326

$122 ฿3,991

167.98%

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

$55.5 $55.5

$13.57 ฿445

309.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

$18.31 ฿600

300.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.72 $47.72

$60.2 ฿1,975

-20.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.87 $19.87

$17.14 ฿562

15.93%

Cinema Ticket

$12.95 $12.95

$8.69 ฿285

49.02%

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

$921 $921

$693 ฿22.7K

32.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$15.7K ฿514.4K

3.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.34 $45.34

$59.5 ฿1,952

-23.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.93 $38.93

$34.77 ฿1,140

11.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$115 ฿3,758

-2.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$83.3 ฿2,731

31.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 $992

$613 ฿20.1K

61.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$777 $777

$437 ฿14.3K

77.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,930 $1,930

$2,094 ฿68.7K

-7.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 $1,783

$1,509 ฿49.5K

18.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,549 $1,549

$3,749 ฿122.9K

-58.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 $1,477

$2,616 ฿85.8K

-43.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,528 $3,528

$508 ฿16.7K

594.32%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Wichita, KS and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wichita, KS pays 594% 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: $56.0 in Wichita, KS vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $293 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 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Wichita, KS pays 594% more on average, 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: $992 in Wichita, KS versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $921 in Wichita, KS versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Wichita, KS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,165 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 71% less than in Wichita, KS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.