Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlsbad, NM and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlsbad, NM and Phuket

😐 Solo nomad: Carlsbad, NM is 26.8% more expensive than Phuket without rent, and 93.4% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Carlsbad, NM is 22.9% more expensive than Phuket without rent, and 38.1% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Carlsbad, NM
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.08 $19.08
$4.65 ฿149
310.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.76 $49.76
$46.11 ฿1,474
7.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.98 $11.98
$8.74 ฿279
37.07%
Cappuccino
$6.43 $6.43
$3.04 ฿97.1
111.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$0.72 ฿23.03
175.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.26 $1.26
$0.39 ฿12.50
223.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.87 $4.87
$2.44 ฿78.0
99.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.86 $5.86
$3.79 ฿121
54.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Carlsbad, NM
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.86 $0.86
$2.14 ฿68.6
-59.81%
White Bread (500g)
$2.43 $2.43
$1.86 ฿59.5
30.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 $1.94
$2.19 ฿69.9
-11.42%
Eggs
$3.73 $3.73
$2.25 ฿71.8
65.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.09 $8.09
$19.73 ฿631
-59.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.97 $9.97
$3.79 ฿121
163.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.06 $12.06
$13.55 ฿433
-11.00%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 $3.05
$3.25 ฿104
-6.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.06 $1.06
$1.67 ฿53.4
-36.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.11 $4.11
$2.39 ฿76.5
71.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 $2.56
$2.09 ฿66.9
22.49%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 $2.53
$1.53 ฿48.88
65.36%
Onion (1kg)
$1.86 $1.86
$1.51 ฿48.27
23.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.27 $2.27
$0.99 ฿31.62
129.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.53 $1.53
$0.51 ฿16.46
200.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.03 $12.03
$4.27 ฿137
181.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.01 $8.01
$20.31 ฿649
-60.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.06 $2.06
$1.79 ฿57.3
15.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.78 $4.78
$2.77 ฿88.5
72.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Carlsbad, NM
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.97 $1.97
$1.40 ฿44.89
40.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$11.70 ฿374
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.69 $1.69
$3.11 ฿99.4
-45.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 $1.60
$0.99 ฿31.80
61.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.02 $27.02
$13.73 ฿439
96.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.77 $0.77
$1.32 ฿42.17
-41.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.4K $19.4K
$27.2K ฿870.7K
-28.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K $25.2K
$34.1K ฿1.1M
-26.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Carlsbad, NM
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$163 $163
$120 ฿3,849
35.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$64.8 $64.8
$13.93 ฿445
365.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.1 $64.1
$18.31 ฿585
250.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Carlsbad, NM
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.66 $42.66
$60.9 ฿1,948
-29.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.23 ฿551
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.72 $11.72
$8.71 ฿278
34.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Carlsbad, NM
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$576 $576
$698 ฿22.3K
-17.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,946 $6,946
$15.7K ฿503.0K
-55.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Carlsbad, NM
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.92 $39.92
$57.6 ฿1,843
-30.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.98 $43.98
$34.24 ฿1,095
28.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.6 $95.6
$113 ฿3,618
-15.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.1 $79.1
$84.8 ฿2,711
-6.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Carlsbad, NM
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,576 $1,576
$604 ฿19.3K
161.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,346 $1,346
$436 ฿13.9K
208.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,613 $2,613
$2,057 ฿65.8K
27.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,265 $2,265
$1,498 ฿47.9K
51.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,880 $1,880
$4,252 ฿135.9K
-55.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,899 $1,899
$2,988 ฿95.5K
-36.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Carlsbad, NM
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,255 $4,255
$529 ฿16.9K
704.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.25
5.33
-39.02%

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

Last update for Carlsbad, NM: March 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: February 28, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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