Cost of Living Comparison Between Lexington, MA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Lexington, MA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,591 in Lexington, MA versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,776 in Lexington, MA versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,961 in Lexington, MA versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Lexington, MA is roughly 104% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lexington, MA is 93% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 $18.84

$4.66 ฿150

304.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$46.44 ฿1,496

60.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 $10.85

$8.68 ฿280

25.00%

Cappuccino

$5.07 $5.07

$2.95 ฿95.0

71.86%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$0.70 ฿22.52

270.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.39 ฿12.70

402.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.53 ฿81.6

138.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 $6.91

$3.78 ฿122

82.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.22 ฿71.5

-55.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.80 ฿57.8

100.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.19 ฿70.4

101.83%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$2.31 ฿74.5

84.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 $12.17

$19.34 ฿623

-37.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.73 $11.73

$3.77 ฿121

211.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.39 $15.39

$13.22 ฿426

16.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$3.33 ฿107

50.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.65 ฿53.1

-3.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.29 ฿73.7

88.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$1.99 ฿64.1

131.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.53 ฿49.24

88.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.51 ฿48.77

91.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.03 ฿33.12

102.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.51 ฿16.57

309.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.87 $9.87

$4.41 ฿142

123.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.39 $14.39

$19.41 ฿625

-25.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.80 ฿58.0

2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.68 ฿86.4

27.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.43 ฿46.11

44.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.04 ฿97.9

16.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.04 ฿33.37

51.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$13.68 ฿441

117.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.30 ฿41.85

-35.38%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

5.55%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-21.67%

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

$190 $190

$123 ฿3,962

54.71%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$13.82 ฿445

281.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.3 $67.3

$18.86 ฿608

256.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.66 $43.66

$61.2 ฿1,970

-28.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 $13.46

$8.87 ฿286

51.75%

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

$1,294 $1,294

$696 ฿22.4K

85.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

47.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 $51.4

$59.3 ฿1,910

-13.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 $40.06

$34.85 ฿1,123

14.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$113 ฿3,646

-24.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$85.1 ฿2,740

29.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 $1,619

$615 ฿19.8K

163.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,336 $1,336

$448 ฿14.4K

197.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,646 $2,646

$2,085 ฿67.2K

26.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,209 $2,209

$1,496 ฿48.2K

47.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,712 $2,712

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-27.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,382 $2,382

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-10.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.33

22.14%

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

Last update for Lexington, MA: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,619 in Lexington, MA and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75 in Lexington, MA vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 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

Lexington, MA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lexington, MA and Phuket differ by about 104% in total monthly costs ($2,591 vs $1,270 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,887 in Lexington, MA and $1,904 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,619 in Lexington, MA versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Lexington, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,591 per month in Lexington, MA versus $1,270 in Phuket – a 104% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,591 in Lexington, MA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lexington, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lexington, MA 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 104% less than in Lexington, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.