Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Branch, NJ and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,692 in Long Branch, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Long Branch, NJ
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Long Branch, NJ Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Long Branch, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,692

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Long Branch, NJ 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 Long Branch, NJ and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,692 per month in Long Branch, NJ vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Long Branch, NJ $2,692
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $3,706 per month in Long Branch, NJ vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Long Branch, NJ $3,706
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $4,720 per month in Long Branch, NJ vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Long Branch, NJ $4,720
Phuket $3,154

Long Branch, NJ costs about 111% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Long Branch, NJ sits 98% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 $19.97

$4.47 ฿151

346.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$32.41 ฿1,094

132.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.98 $12.98

$8.81 ฿297

47.33%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$2.83 ฿95.5

77.39%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$0.87 ฿29.43

219.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.49 ฿16.67

316.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.56 ฿86.4

55.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$3.68 ฿124

89.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.66 ฿56.0

-36.14%

White Bread (500g)

$4.62 $4.62

$1.46 ฿49.35

216.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.50 ฿50.6

192.67%

Eggs

$6.48 $6.48

$2.09 ฿70.5

210.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 $10.54

$19.07 ฿644

-44.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.85 $10.85

$3.30 ฿111

228.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.14 $19.14

$10.91 ฿368

75.44%

Apples (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$2.93 ฿99.0

86.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.69 ฿57.1

-5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.25 ฿75.8

51.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.08 ฿70.1

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.51 ฿51.0

49.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.38 ฿46.56

80.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.07 ฿35.99

154.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$0.52 ฿17.52

444.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.69 $13.69

$4.20 ฿142

225.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.82 $16.82

$18.79 ฿634

-10.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.82 ฿61.5

5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.84 ฿95.9

-2.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.45 ฿49.03

51.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.0 $62.0

$56.7 ฿1,913

9.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.02 ฿102

96.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.02 ฿34.36

50.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.68 $31.68

$3.69 ฿125

758.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.47 ฿49.81

-29.25%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

5.11%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-1.22%

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

$179 $179

$96.4 ฿3,254

86.20%

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

$37.21 $37.21

$11.26 ฿380

230.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 $59.8

$16.85 ฿569

254.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.08 $36.08

$67.2 ฿2,270

-46.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$12.42 $12.42

$7.50 ฿253

65.60%

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

$2,152 $2,152

$476 ฿16.1K

352.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K $21.4K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

90.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.46 $38.46

$62.4 ฿2,106

-38.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.42 $16.42

$28.41 ฿959

-42.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 $100.0

$94.3 ฿3,184

6.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$85.8 ฿2,898

47.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 $1,440

$716 ฿24.2K

101.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 $1,417

$491 ฿16.6K

188.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,815 $2,815

$1,927 ฿65.1K

46.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 $1,870

$1,431 ฿48.3K

30.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,782 $2,782

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-33.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,109 $2,109

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-30.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.57

16.88%

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

Last update for Long Branch, NJ: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Long Branch, NJ

$1.4K 52.7%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 65.4% $926

Groceries & Markets

Long Branch, NJ

$415 15.4%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 35.8% $149

Eating Out

Long Branch, NJ

$312 11.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 61% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Long Branch, NJ

$276 10.3%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 55% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Long Branch, NJ

$126 4.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 3.6% $4.6

Getting Around

Long Branch, NJ

$84 3.1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 16.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Long Branch, NJ

$61 2.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 35% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,440 in Long Branch, NJ versus $716 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 $75 in Long Branch, NJ versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Long Branch, NJ

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

14:04 2:04 PM

01:04 1:04 AM

11 h ahead of Long Branch, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,314

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Long Branch, NJ Phuket 14,600 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Long Branch, NJ
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,692 in Long Branch, NJ, $1,278 in Phuket – roughly 111% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,039 per month in Long Branch, NJ and $1,917 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,440 in Long Branch, NJ.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Long Branch, NJ, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Long Branch, NJ and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Long Branch, NJ at $2,692. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Long Branch, NJ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

For expats, Phuket is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 111% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.