Cost of Living Comparison Between Zion, IL and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Zion, IL and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,485 in Zion, IL versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,650 in Zion, IL versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,815 in Zion, IL versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Zion, IL is roughly 97% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zion, IL is 86% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 $15.02

$4.53 ฿153

231.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.1 $86.1

$46.36 ฿1,565

85.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 $11.62

$8.65 ฿292

34.34%

Cappuccino

$5.33 $5.33

$3.09 ฿104

72.49%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$0.68 ฿22.89

339.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.37 ฿12.44

521.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 $5.94

$2.42 ฿81.6

145.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.47 $8.47

$3.81 ฿129

122.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$2.18 ฿73.5

-59.63%

White Bread (500g)

$4.62 $4.62

$1.82 ฿61.3

153.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.18 ฿73.5

47.25%

Eggs

$5.08 $5.08

$2.24 ฿75.4

126.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$19.93 ฿673

-62.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.34 $11.34

$3.64 ฿123

211.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.44 $11.44

$13.56 ฿458

-15.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$3.29 ฿111

71.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.69 ฿56.9

-2.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.33 ฿78.8

27.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.03 ฿68.4

71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.60 ฿54.0

-19.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.49 ฿50.5

59.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.01 ฿34.17

58.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.48 ฿16.09

335.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 $11.55

$4.45 ฿150

159.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 $12.74

$18.63 ฿629

-31.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.79 ฿60.3

-1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.80 ฿94.4

17.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.42 ฿47.90

38.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.09 ฿104

14.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.04 ฿35.19

50.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.08 $29.08

$13.63 ฿460

113.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.31 ฿44.23

-23.66%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$27.3K ฿920.7K

-10.59%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-23.34%

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

$174 $174

$123 ฿4,157

41.37%

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

$51.8 $51.8

$13.81 ฿466

274.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 $50.9

$18.52 ฿625

175.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.56 $43.56

$60.4 ฿2,037

-27.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿567

Cinema Ticket

$11.18 $11.18

$8.89 ฿300

25.76%

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

$1,342 $1,342

$687 ฿23.2K

95.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$15.6K ฿524.8K

50.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.89 $45.89

$57.6 ฿1,945

-20.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.87 $39.87

$34.66 ฿1,170

15.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 $67.4

$115 ฿3,879

-41.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$84.9 ฿2,865

31.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 $1,606

$618 ฿20.8K

160.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 $1,342

$443 ฿15.0K

202.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,664 $2,664

$2,047 ฿69.1K

30.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,196 $2,196

$1,506 ฿50.8K

45.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,433 $2,433

$3,568 ฿120.4K

-31.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,679 $2,679

$2,511 ฿84.7K

6.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

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 Zion, IL: July 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,606 in Zion, IL and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $86.0 in Zion, IL vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $292 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

Zion, IL vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,727 in Zion, IL and $1,891 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: $1,606 in Zion, IL versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,342 in Zion, IL versus $687 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $86.0 in Zion, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,485 in Zion, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Zion, IL. 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 Zion, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Zion, IL 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 97% less than in Zion, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.