Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Island, NY and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $4,225 in Long Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $35,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

201

Cost of Living Index in Long Island, NY
Learn more

Long Island, NY Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,225

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,225 per month in Long Island, NY vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Long Island, NY $4,225
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $5,930 per month in Long Island, NY vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Long Island, NY $5,930
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $7,634 per month in Long Island, NY vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Long Island, NY $7,634
Phuket $3,154

Long Island, NY costs about 231% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Long Island, NY sits 210% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 $25.14

$4.47 ฿151

462.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$32.41 ฿1,094

203.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 $10.99

$8.81 ฿297

24.74%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$2.83 ฿95.4

79.51%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$0.87 ฿29.42

145.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.49 ฿16.66

222.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.02 $8.02

$2.56 ฿86.3

213.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$3.68 ฿124

114.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.66 ฿56.0

-20.48%

White Bread (500g)

$4.26 $4.26

$1.46 ฿49.32

191.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.50 ฿50.5

29.33%

Eggs

$5.26 $5.26

$2.09 ฿70.5

151.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 $7.21

$19.07 ฿643

-62.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$3.30 ฿111

260.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.91 ฿368

48.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$2.93 ฿98.9

45.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.69 ฿57.0

-28.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.25 ฿75.8

-8.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$2.08 ฿70.1

196.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.51 ฿51.0

-29.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.38 ฿46.54

57.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.07 ฿35.97

38.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$0.52 ฿17.51

448.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$4.20 ฿142

182.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.58 $17.58

$18.79 ฿634

-6.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.82 ฿61.5

-3.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.84 ฿95.9

44.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.45 ฿49.00

104.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$130 $130

$56.7 ฿1,912

128.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.02 ฿102

-0.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.02 ฿34.34

96.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.41 $24.41

$3.69 ฿125

561.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.47 ฿49.78

-24.49%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$26.8K ฿903.7K

2.67%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K ฿900.8K

-1.55%

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

$192 $192

$96.4 ฿3,252

99.03%

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

$48.26 $48.26

$11.26 ฿380

328.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 $53.7

$16.85 ฿569

218.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.30 $31.30

$67.2 ฿2,269

-53.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$102 $102

$10.73 ฿362

849.67%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 $14.69

$7.50 ฿253

95.87%

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

$2,444 $2,444

$476 ฿16.1K

413.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$11.3K ฿380.1K

109.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.07 $40.07

$62.4 ฿2,105

-35.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 $56.7

$28.41 ฿959

99.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 $76.3

$94.3 ฿3,182

-19.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 $155

$85.8 ฿2,896

81.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,189 $3,189

$716 ฿24.2K

345.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 $2,820

$491 ฿16.6K

474.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,670 $5,670

$1,927 ฿65.0K

194.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,315 $4,315

$1,431 ฿48.3K

201.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,973 $5,973

$4,175 ฿140.9K

43.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,241 $4,241

$3,045 ฿102.8K

39.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,981 $4,981

$502 ฿17.0K

891.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

5.57

19.03%

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

Last update for Long Island, NY: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Long Island, NY

$2.8K 66.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 82.6% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

Long Island, NY

$382 9%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 30.3% $116

Eating Out

Long Island, NY

$366 8.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 66.7% $244

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Long Island, NY

$294 7%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 57.6% $169

Getting Around

Long Island, NY

$154 3.7%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 54.3% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Long Island, NY

$148 3.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 17.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Long Island, NY

$61 1.4%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 35.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,189 in Long Island, NY 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.

Salaries in Long Island, NY are about 9.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Long Island, NY versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Long Island, NY

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:03 10:03 PM

10:03 10:03 AM

12 h ahead of Long Island, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,804,968

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Long Island, NY Phuket 14,530 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Long Island, NY
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 Island, NY vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,225 in Long Island, NY, $1,278 in Phuket – Phuket comes out roughly 70% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,337 per month in Long Island, NY 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 $3,189 in Long Island, NY.

Kindergarten costs $2,444 per month in Long Island, NY and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Long Island, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Long Island, NY at $4,225. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Long Island, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Long Island, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $4,225 in Long Island, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Long Island, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.