Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Alamos, NM and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Alamos, NM: $1,060 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

51

Cost of Living Index in Los Alamos, NM
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Los Alamos, NM Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Los Alamos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,060

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Los Alamos, NM 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 Los Alamos, NM and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,060 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $1,060
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $1,643 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $1,643
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $2,227 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $2,227
Phuket $2,845

Los Alamos, NM is about 12% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Los Alamos, NM and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Los Alamos, NM 22% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.75 $16.75

$4.40 ฿147

280.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.58 $39.58

$32.26 ฿1,078

22.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 $9.82

$8.76 ฿293

12.10%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$2.83 ฿94.5

74.91%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$0.90 ฿30.14

180.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.47 ฿15.56

225.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$2.55 ฿85.2

131.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$3.83 ฿128

79.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.73 ฿57.7

-45.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.47 ฿49.11

46.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$1.51 ฿50.6

205.96%

Eggs

$4.01 $4.01

$2.17 ฿72.7

84.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$19.70 ฿658

-39.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$3.34 ฿112

191.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.91 $17.91

$11.16 ฿373

60.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.85 ฿95.1

70.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.70 ฿56.9

-15.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.19 ฿73.3

30.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.05 ฿68.4

112.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.45 ฿48.57

-23.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.38 ฿46.16

142.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.07 ฿35.69

91.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.51 ฿16.91

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.00 $11.00

$4.26 ฿142

158.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 $13.84

$18.58 ฿621

-25.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.78 ฿59.7

38.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.85 ฿95.2

28.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.01 ฿101

19.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.06 ฿35.34

83.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.32 $32.32

$3.86 ฿129

737.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.45 ฿48.45

-35.17%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

14.05%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-6.04%

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

$156 $156

$96.4 ฿3,221

62.22%

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

$40.31 $40.31

$11.04 ฿369

265.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$17.14 ฿573

322.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$12.88 $12.88

$7.81 ฿261

64.92%

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

$1,480 $1,480

$556 ฿18.6K

166.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

116.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.09 $20.09

$64.2 ฿2,146

-68.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.66 $43.66

$28.69 ฿959

52.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$95.4 ฿3,187

7.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$88.0 ฿2,940

32.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 $1,101

$737 ฿24.6K

49.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,926 $1,926

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-8.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,369 $3,369

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-3.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,369 $3,369

$2,523 ฿84.3K

33.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,167 $8,167

$501 ฿16.7K

1531.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

5.57

17.95%

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

Last update for Los Alamos, NM: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Los Alamos, NM

$342 32.3%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 21.4% $73

Eating Out

Los Alamos, NM

$282 26.7%

Phuket

$121 10% 57.1% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Alamos, NM

$269 25.4%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 53.7% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Los Alamos, NM

$127 12%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 2.3% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Los Alamos, NM

$26 * 2.4%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 163% $42

Getting Around

Los Alamos, NM

$13 * 1.3%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 196% $26

Accommodation & Living

Los Alamos, NM

- * 0%

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,101 in Los Alamos, NM versus $737 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 run about 1531% higher in Los Alamos, NM, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Los Alamos, NM versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $342 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Alamos, NM

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

00:49 12:49 AM

13 h ahead of Los Alamos, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,179

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Los Alamos, NM Phuket 14,510 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Alamos, NM
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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

Los Alamos, NM vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,589 per month in Los Alamos, NM and $1,813 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Alamos, NM, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM and $1,208 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 14%.

Kindergarten costs $1,480 per month in Los Alamos, NM and $556 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Los Alamos, NM, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Los Alamos, NM it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Los Alamos, NM – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Los Alamos, NM. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.