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: $2,958 in Hackensack, NJ versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,654 in Hackensack, NJ versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,351 in Hackensack, NJ versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Hackensack, NJ is roughly 134% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hackensack, NJ is 121% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.74 $19.74

$4.70 ฿154

320.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$45.37 ฿1,489

121.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.25 $14.25

$8.43 ฿277

69.04%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$2.93 ฿96.1

81.57%

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

$2.37 $2.37

$0.69 ฿22.50

243.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$0.37 ฿12.04

421.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 $7.15

$2.41 ฿79.0

196.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.94 $8.94

$3.72 ฿122

140.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.23 ฿73.3

-43.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.83 ฿60.1

108.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$2.17 ฿71.1

142.86%

Eggs

$4.79 $4.79

$2.21 ฿72.6

116.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.09 $14.09

$19.74 ฿648

-28.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.29 $10.29

$3.63 ฿119

183.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 $17.43

$13.53 ฿444

28.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$3.28 ฿108

53.05%

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)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.08 ฿68.4

98.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.53 ฿50.2

80.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.48 ฿48.58

78.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.99 ฿32.44

149.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.51 ฿16.74

423.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 $11.83

$4.41 ฿145

168.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$19.38 ฿636

-22.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.78 ฿58.4

-4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.71 ฿89.0

58.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.53 $3.53

$1.37 ฿44.99

157.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 $60.7

$11.39 ฿374

432.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.02 ฿99.1

1.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.99 ฿32.63

112.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.46 $24.46

$14.10 ฿463

73.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.36 ฿44.71

-33.09%

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

$23.4K $23.4K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

-17.18%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-22.33%

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

$212 $212

$122 ฿3,993

74.00%

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

$53.9 $53.9

$13.57 ฿445

297.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 $58.2

$18.31 ฿601

217.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.75 $45.75

$60.2 ฿1,976

-24.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$20.34 $20.34

$8.69 ฿285

134.06%

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

$1,393 $1,393

$693 ฿22.8K

100.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$15.7K ฿514.7K

2.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.02 $49.02

$59.5 ฿1,953

-17.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 $63.1

$34.77 ฿1,141

81.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 $88.2

$115 ฿3,760

-23.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 $98.6

$83.3 ฿2,733

18.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,772 $1,772

$613 ฿20.1K

189.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,634 $1,634

$437 ฿14.3K

273.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 $3,390

$2,094 ฿68.7K

61.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,271 $3,271

$1,509 ฿49.5K

116.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,570 $3,570

$3,749 ฿123.0K

-4.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,240 $3,240

$2,616 ฿85.8K

23.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,265 $6,265

$508 ฿16.7K

1133.04%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,772 in Hackensack, NJ and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hackensack, NJ pays 1133% 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: $101 in Hackensack, NJ vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $412 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

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

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 134% 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 1133% 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: $1,772 in Hackensack, NJ versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,393 in Hackensack, NJ versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Hackensack, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,958 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 $1,265 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 134% less than in Hackensack, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.