Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elizabeth City, NC and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth City, NC
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Elizabeth City, NC Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Elizabeth City, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,456

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,456 per month in Elizabeth City, NC vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Elizabeth City, NC $2,456
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $3,522 per month in Elizabeth City, NC vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Elizabeth City, NC $3,522
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $4,588 per month in Elizabeth City, NC vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Elizabeth City, NC $4,588
Phuket $2,845

Elizabeth City, NC costs about 103% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Elizabeth City, NC sits 81% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 $11.95

$4.40 ฿147

171.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.93 $34.93

$32.26 ฿1,078

8.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 $11.60

$8.76 ฿293

32.42%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$2.83 ฿94.5

106.36%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$0.90 ฿30.14

180.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.47 ฿15.56

334.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$2.55 ฿85.2

140.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.83 ฿128

85.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.73 ฿57.7

-45.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.47 ฿49.11

148.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.51 ฿50.6

98.68%

Eggs

$4.78 $4.78

$2.17 ฿72.7

120.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 $10.81

$19.70 ฿658

-45.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.01 $10.01

$3.34 ฿112

199.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.49 $17.49

$11.16 ฿373

56.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.85 ฿95.1

53.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.70 ฿56.9

-24.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.19 ฿73.3

100.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.05 ฿68.4

120.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.45 ฿48.57

48.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.38 ฿46.16

60.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.07 ฿35.69

87.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.51 ฿16.91

337.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.86 $8.86

$4.26 ฿142

107.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$18.58 ฿621

-20.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.78 ฿59.7

19.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.85 ฿95.2

-7.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.26 ฿75.6

-19.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.01 ฿101

-2.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.06 ฿35.34

82.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.19 $18.19

$3.86 ฿129

371.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.45 ฿48.45

-31.03%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

16.20%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-4.89%

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

$183 $183

$96.4 ฿3,221

89.94%

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

$56.8 $56.8

$11.04 ฿369

414.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 $59.6

$17.14 ฿573

247.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.64 $45.64

$52.2 ฿1,744

-12.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 $15.06

$7.81 ฿261

92.83%

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

$1,491 $1,491

$556 ฿18.6K

168.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K $24.9K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

114.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 $54.7

$64.2 ฿2,146

-14.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.11 $40.11

$28.69 ฿959

39.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 $87.8

$95.4 ฿3,187

-7.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$88.0 ฿2,940

61.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$737 ฿24.6K

114.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 $1,279

$462 ฿15.5K

176.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 $2,494

$2,095 ฿70.0K

19.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,164 $2,164

$1,201 ฿40.1K

80.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 $2,870

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-17.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,355 $2,355

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-6.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

5.57

18.67%

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

Last update for Elizabeth City, NC: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elizabeth City, NC

$1.3K 52.1%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 63.8% $816

Groceries & Markets

Elizabeth City, NC

$373 15.2%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 28% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elizabeth City, NC

$299 12.2%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 58.4% $175

Eating Out

Elizabeth City, NC

$264 10.7%

Phuket

$121 10% 54% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Elizabeth City, NC

$146 6%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 15% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Elizabeth City, NC

$76 3.1%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 10.5% $8

Getting Around

Elizabeth City, NC

$20 * 0.8%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 99.3% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,584 in Elizabeth City, NC versus $737 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Elizabeth City, NC versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $373 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elizabeth City, NC

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

21:16 9:16 PM

08:16 8:16 AM

11 h ahead of Elizabeth City, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,683

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Elizabeth City, NC Phuket 15,070 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Elizabeth City, NC
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

Elizabeth City, NC vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC, $1,208 in Phuket – roughly 103% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,685 per month in Elizabeth City, NC and $1,813 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Elizabeth City, NC and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Elizabeth City, NC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Elizabeth City, NC at $2,456. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Elizabeth City, NC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,208 in Phuket to $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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