Cost of Living Comparison Between Hackensack, NJ and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Hackensack, NJ and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,007 in Hackensack, NJ versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,754 in Hackensack, NJ versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,502 in Hackensack, NJ versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Hackensack, NJ is roughly 137% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hackensack, NJ is 124% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.83 $19.83

$4.66 ฿150

325.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$46.44 ฿1,496

112.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.15 $14.15

$8.68 ฿280

63.02%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$2.95 ฿95.0

84.41%

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

$2.36 $2.36

$0.70 ฿22.52

237.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$0.39 ฿12.70

384.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 $6.84

$2.53 ฿81.6

170.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$3.78 ฿122

141.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.22 ฿71.5

-40.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.80 ฿57.8

110.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$2.19 ฿70.4

136.07%

Eggs

$4.78 $4.78

$2.31 ฿74.5

106.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.76 $13.76

$19.34 ฿623

-28.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$3.77 ฿121

170.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.09 $17.09

$13.22 ฿426

29.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$3.33 ฿107

52.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.65 ฿53.1

8.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.29 ฿73.7

69.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$1.99 ฿64.1

108.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.53 ฿49.24

89.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.51 ฿48.77

74.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.03 ฿33.12

135.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.51 ฿16.57

423.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.80 $11.80

$4.41 ฿142

167.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$19.41 ฿625

-23.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.80 ฿58.0

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.68 ฿86.4

60.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.43 ฿46.11

144.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 $60.8

$11.70 ฿377

419.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.04 ฿97.9

-2.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.04 ฿33.37

91.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.07 $24.07

$13.68 ฿441

75.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.30 ฿41.85

-30.00%

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

$23.4K $23.4K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-16.23%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-23.34%

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

$218 $218

$123 ฿3,962

77.45%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$13.82 ฿445

281.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 $58.9

$18.86 ฿608

212.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.46 $44.46

$61.2 ฿1,970

-27.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$20.02 $20.02

$8.87 ฿286

125.70%

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

$1,409 $1,409

$696 ฿22.4K

102.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-0.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$59.3 ฿1,910

-14.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.4 $63.4

$34.85 ฿1,123

81.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 $88.1

$113 ฿3,646

-22.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.1 $99.1

$85.1 ฿2,740

16.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,799 $1,799

$615 ฿19.8K

192.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 $1,613

$448 ฿14.4K

259.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,439 $3,439

$2,085 ฿67.2K

64.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,264 $3,264

$1,496 ฿48.2K

118.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,574 $3,574

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-4.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,236 $3,236

$2,662 ฿85.8K

21.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,303 $6,303

$534 ฿17.2K

1081.38%

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 Hackensack, NJ: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,799 in Hackensack, NJ and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hackensack, NJ pays 1081% 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: $98 in Hackensack, NJ vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $291 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

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

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 137% lower than in Hackensack, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Hackensack, NJ pays 1081% 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: $1,799 in Hackensack, NJ versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,409 in Hackensack, NJ versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Hackensack, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $3,007 in Hackensack, NJ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Hackensack, 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 $1,270 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hackensack, 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 137% less than in Hackensack, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.