Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Lee, NJ and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Lee, NJ and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,126 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,068 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,011 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Fort Lee, NJ is roughly 147% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fort Lee, NJ is 133% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 $20.04

$4.70 ฿154

326.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$45.37 ฿1,489

120.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.47 $12.47

$8.43 ฿277

47.92%

Cappuccino

$5.51 $5.51

$2.93 ฿96.1

88.05%

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

$2.47 $2.47

$0.69 ฿22.50

257.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.37 ฿12.04

243.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 $6.97

$2.41 ฿79.0

189.21%

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)

$3.24 $3.24

$1.83 ฿60.1

77.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.17 ฿71.1

98.16%

Eggs

$4.21 $4.21

$2.21 ฿72.6

90.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.76 $21.76

$19.74 ฿648

10.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.01 $12.01

$3.63 ฿119

230.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 $17.14

$13.53 ฿444

26.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.28 ฿108

47.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.61 ฿52.9

-3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.41 ฿79.0

65.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.08 ฿68.4

95.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.53 ฿50.2

90.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.48 ฿48.58

164.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.99 ฿32.44

149.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$0.51 ฿16.74

411.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.99 $11.99

$4.41 ฿145

171.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 $12.10

$19.38 ฿636

-37.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.78 ฿58.4

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$2.71 ฿89.0

123.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.37 ฿44.99

189.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.02 ฿99.1

2.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.99 ฿32.63

102.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.35 $24.35

$14.10 ฿463

72.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.36 ฿44.71

-35.29%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

7.04%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.46%

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

$124 $124

$122 ฿3,993

2.14%

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

$44.70 $44.70

$13.57 ฿445

229.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 $65.2

$18.31 ฿601

255.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 $124

$60.2 ฿1,976

106.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 $14.73

$8.69 ฿285

69.51%

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

$1,998 $1,998

$693 ฿22.8K

188.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$15.7K ฿514.7K

52.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.0 $76.0

$59.5 ฿1,953

27.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 $61.1

$34.77 ฿1,141

75.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 $69.2

$115 ฿3,760

-39.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 $98.7

$83.3 ฿2,733

18.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,202 $2,202

$613 ฿20.1K

259.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 $1,806

$437 ฿14.3K

313.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,647 $4,647

$2,094 ฿68.7K

121.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,868 $3,868

$1,509 ฿49.5K

156.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,326 $4,326

$3,749 ฿123.0K

15.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,776 $3,776

$2,616 ฿85.8K

44.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,639 $6,639

$508 ฿16.7K

1206.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

5.33

19.14%

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

Last update for Fort Lee, NJ: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,202 in Fort Lee, NJ and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lee, NJ pays 1207% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $100 in Fort Lee, NJ vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $429 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

Fort Lee, NJ vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 147% lower than in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Fort Lee, NJ pays 1207% more on average, 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: $2,202 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,998 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $100 in Fort Lee, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,126 in Fort Lee, NJ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Fort Lee, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Fort Lee, NJ 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 147% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.