Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, NY and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,512 in Amherst, NY, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, NY
Learn more

Amherst, NY Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Amherst, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,512

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,512 per month in Amherst, NY vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

Amherst, NY $2,512
Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $3,853 per month in Amherst, NY vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

Amherst, NY $3,853
Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $5,195 per month in Amherst, NY vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

Amherst, NY $5,195
Phuket $3,115

Amherst, NY costs about 94% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Amherst, NY sits 86% above the global median, while Phuket is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 $18.08

$4.39 ฿148

311.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 $78.0

$32.31 ฿1,090

141.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 $12.17

$8.70 ฿294

39.89%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$2.72 ฿91.9

118.38%

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

$2.75 $2.75

$0.93 ฿31.39

195.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.50 ฿16.85

312.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 $6.93

$2.53 ฿85.4

173.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.58 $7.58

$3.63 ฿122

108.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.74 ฿58.7

-49.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.45 ฿48.95

128.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.50 ฿50.7

188.00%

Eggs

$3.96 $3.96

$2.17 ฿73.3

82.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$19.09 ฿644

-42.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 $9.98

$3.40 ฿115

193.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 $15.86

$10.90 ฿368

45.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.94 ฿99.2

67.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.69 ฿57.1

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.19 ฿74.0

100.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.12 ฿71.7

148.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.46 ฿49.21

86.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.37 ฿46.15

115.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.08 ฿36.30

122.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.55 ฿18.41

349.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.03 $15.03

$4.43 ฿149

239.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$18.25 ฿616

-17.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.77 ฿59.8

12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.88 ฿97.2

43.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.45 ฿48.84

34.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 $54.1

$54.9 ฿1,852

-1.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.51 ฿51.0

87.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.78 ฿26.18

162.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.01 $20.01

$3.84 ฿130

421.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.49 ฿50.2

-20.81%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$26.9K ฿907.0K

13.88%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.3K ฿888.9K

-2.15%

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

$234 $234

$97.8 ฿3,300

139.14%

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

$51.7 $51.7

$11.29 ฿381

358.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$17.19 ฿580

285.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 $40.31

$68.3 ฿2,305

-41.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.77 $19.77

$10.92 ฿368

81.04%

Cinema Ticket

$12.88 $12.88

$7.43 ฿251

73.35%

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

$1,263 $1,263

$530 ฿17.9K

138.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K $18.9K

$18.8K ฿633.7K

0.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 $53.7

$61.7 ฿2,081

-12.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.22 $44.22

$28.25 ฿953

56.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 $96.1

$96.0 ฿3,239

0.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$86.8 ฿2,929

31.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 $1,547

$721 ฿24.3K

114.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 $1,174

$509 ฿17.2K

130.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,716 $2,716

$1,950 ฿65.8K

39.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 $2,269

$1,397 ฿47.1K

62.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,775 $2,775

$4,192 ฿141.4K

-33.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,351 $2,351

$3,298 ฿111.3K

-28.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,179 $4,179

$492 ฿16.6K

750.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

5.57

17.06%

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

Last update for Amherst, NY: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amherst, NY

$1.2K 46.7%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 56.6% $665

Groceries & Markets

Amherst, NY

$384 15.3%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 30.6% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amherst, NY

$352 14%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 64.1% $226

Eating Out

Amherst, NY

$322 12.8%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 62.8% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Amherst, NY

$139 5.5%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 11.6% $16

Getting Around

Amherst, NY

$75 3%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 11.9% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Amherst, NY

$66 2.6%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 25.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,547 in Amherst, NY versus $721 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Amherst, NY are about 8.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Amherst, NY versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $267 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Amherst, NY

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

10:31 10:31 AM

22:31 10:31 PM

12 h ahead of Amherst, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,819

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 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 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

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

Amherst, NY costs about 94% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,767 per month in Amherst, NY and $1,940 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $721 there versus $1,547 in Amherst, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Amherst, NY and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Amherst, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Amherst, NY at $2,512. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amherst, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amherst, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.