Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, MA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,767 in Amherst, MA, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, MA
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Amherst, MA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Amherst, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,767

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,767 in Amherst, MA versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Amherst, MA $2,767
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,275 in Amherst, MA versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Amherst, MA $4,275
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,783 in Amherst, MA versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Amherst, MA $5,783
Phuket $3,154

Living in Amherst, MA is roughly 117% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Amherst, MA is 103% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 $20.05

$4.47 ฿151

348.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.8 $70.8

$32.41 ฿1,094

118.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 $8.90

$8.81 ฿297

1.02%

Cappuccino

$4.79 $4.79

$2.83 ฿95.4

69.26%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$0.87 ฿29.42

209.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.49 ฿16.66

320.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$2.56 ฿86.3

133.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.41 $10.41

$3.68 ฿124

182.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.66 ฿56.0

-36.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.46 ฿49.32

119.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.00 $7.00

$1.50 ฿50.5

366.67%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$2.09 ฿70.5

124.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.50 $16.50

$19.07 ฿643

-13.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$3.30 ฿111

378.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.29 $18.29

$10.91 ฿368

67.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.93 ฿98.9

60.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.69 ฿57.0

-14.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.25 ฿75.8

44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.08 ฿70.1

121.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.51 ฿51.0

116.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.38 ฿46.54

168.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.07 ฿35.97

114.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.52 ฿17.51

288.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.69 $10.69

$4.20 ฿142

154.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 $12.14

$18.79 ฿634

-35.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.82 ฿61.5

8.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.84 ฿95.9

38.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.45 ฿49.00

-11.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.34 $28.34

$56.7 ฿1,912

-49.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.02 ฿102

17.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.02 ฿34.34

39.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.78 $29.78

$3.69 ฿125

707.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.47 ฿49.78

-32.65%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$26.8K ฿903.7K

2.81%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.7K ฿900.8K

-1.22%

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

$213 $213

$96.4 ฿3,252

121.01%

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

$56.5 $56.5

$11.26 ฿380

401.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.9 $87.9

$16.85 ฿569

421.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$121 $121

$67.2 ฿2,269

80.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.90 $6.90

$10.73 ฿362

-35.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.65 $10.65

$7.50 ฿253

42.00%

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

$1,466 $1,466

$476 ฿16.1K

207.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K $17.2K

$11.3K ฿380.1K

52.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.22 $45.22

$62.4 ฿2,105

-27.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 $40.24

$28.41 ฿959

41.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 $91.6

$94.3 ฿3,182

-2.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$85.8 ฿2,896

27.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 $1,821

$716 ฿24.2K

154.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 $1,346

$491 ฿16.6K

174.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,829 $3,829

$1,927 ฿65.0K

98.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,708 $2,708

$1,431 ฿48.3K

89.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,969 $3,969

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-4.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,035 $4,035

$3,045 ฿102.8K

32.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,660 $4,660

$502 ฿17.0K

827.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

5.57

9.52%

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

Last update for Amherst, MA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amherst, MA

$1.3K 48.7%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 63.5% $855

Groceries & Markets

Amherst, MA

$434 15.7%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 38.6% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amherst, MA

$357 12.9%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 65.2% $233

Eating Out

Amherst, MA

$314 11.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 61.3% $193

Sport & Entertainment

Amherst, MA

$143 5.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 42.3% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Amherst, MA

$129 4.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 5.5% $7.1

Getting Around

Amherst, MA

$44 1.6%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 59.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,821 in Amherst, MA and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amherst, MA pays about 9.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $71 in Amherst, MA vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $434 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Amherst, MA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

08:41 8:41 AM

12 h ahead of Amherst, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,819

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Amherst, MA Phuket 14,350 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Amherst, MA
Phuket

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

Amherst, MA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 54% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Amherst, MA is about 9.3 times higher, 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: $1,821 in Amherst, MA versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,466 in Amherst, MA versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Amherst, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,767 in Amherst, MA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Amherst, MA. 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, Amherst, MA and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Amherst, MA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.