Cost of Living Comparison Between Brookhaven, NY and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Brookhaven, NY and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,658 in Brookhaven, NY versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,960 in Brookhaven, NY versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,261 in Brookhaven, NY versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Brookhaven, NY is roughly 110% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brookhaven, NY is 98% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.80 $19.80

$4.70 ฿154

321.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$45.37 ฿1,489

122.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.17 $14.17

$8.43 ฿277

68.09%

Cappuccino

$5.53 $5.53

$2.93 ฿96.1

88.74%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$0.69 ฿22.50

253.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$0.37 ฿12.04

421.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.01 $7.01

$2.41 ฿79.0

190.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$3.72 ฿122

135.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$2.23 ฿73.3

-39.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.83 ฿60.1

106.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.17 ฿71.1

136.87%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$2.21 ฿72.6

112.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.58 $21.58

$19.74 ฿648

9.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 $11.72

$3.63 ฿119

222.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 $17.05

$13.53 ฿444

26.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$3.28 ฿108

46.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.61 ฿52.9

9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.41 ฿79.0

63.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.08 ฿68.4

96.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.53 ฿50.2

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$1.48 ฿48.58

158.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.99 ฿32.44

138.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$0.51 ฿16.74

409.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.76 $11.76

$4.41 ฿145

166.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$19.38 ฿636

-23.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.78 ฿58.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 $6.07

$2.71 ฿89.0

123.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.37 ฿44.99

43.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.02 ฿99.1

1.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.99 ฿32.63

111.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.44 $24.44

$14.10 ฿463

73.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.36 ฿44.71

-33.09%

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

$34.6K $34.6K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

22.58%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-22.18%

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

$125 $125

$122 ฿3,993

2.50%

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

$44.84 $44.84

$13.57 ฿445

230.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$18.31 ฿601

252.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.05 $43.05

$60.2 ฿1,976

-28.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$16.75 $16.75

$8.69 ฿285

92.75%

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

$2,277 $2,277

$693 ฿22.8K

228.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$15.7K ฿514.7K

53.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 $74.2

$59.5 ฿1,953

24.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 $63.7

$34.77 ฿1,141

83.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 $74.2

$115 ฿3,760

-35.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$83.3 ฿2,733

61.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 $1,571

$613 ฿20.1K

156.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 $1,339

$437 ฿14.3K

206.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,621 $2,621

$2,094 ฿68.7K

25.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,190 $2,190

$1,509 ฿49.5K

45.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,315 $2,315

$3,749 ฿123.0K

-38.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,101 $2,101

$2,616 ฿85.8K

-19.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

5.33

24.20%

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

Last update for Brookhaven, NY: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,571 in Brookhaven, NY and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Brookhaven, NY vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $444 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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,987 in Brookhaven, NY and $1,898 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: $1,571 in Brookhaven, NY versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Brookhaven, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,658 per month in Brookhaven, NY versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 110% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,658 in Brookhaven, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Brookhaven, NY. 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 Brookhaven, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Brookhaven, NY 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 110% less than in Brookhaven, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.