Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lowell, MA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,623 in Lowell, MA, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Lowell, MA
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Lowell, MA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Lowell, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,623

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,623 per month in Lowell, MA vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

Lowell, MA $2,623
Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $4,189 per month in Lowell, MA vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

Lowell, MA $4,189
Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $5,755 per month in Lowell, MA vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

Lowell, MA $5,755
Phuket $3,115

Lowell, MA costs about 103% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lowell, MA sits 94% above the global median, while Phuket is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.58 $16.58

$4.39 ฿148

277.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 $71.2

$32.31 ฿1,090

120.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 $8.79

$8.70 ฿294

1.03%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$2.72 ฿91.9

81.99%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$0.93 ฿31.38

118.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.50 ฿16.85

228.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.53 ฿85.4

100.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.84 $7.84

$3.63 ฿122

115.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.74 ฿58.7

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.45 ฿48.93

53.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$1.50 ฿50.7

256.00%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$2.17 ฿73.3

80.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 $11.25

$19.09 ฿644

-41.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$3.40 ฿115

160.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 $17.87

$10.90 ฿368

63.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.94 ฿99.2

-7.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.69 ฿57.1

-27.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$2.19 ฿74.0

201.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$2.12 ฿71.6

166.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.46 ฿49.19

10.27%

Onion (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.37 ฿46.14

215.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.08 ฿36.29

116.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.55 ฿18.40

305.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$4.43 ฿149

213.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 $13.77

$18.25 ฿616

-24.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.77 ฿59.8

-4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.88 ฿97.2

35.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.45 ฿48.82

27.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.6 $54.6

$54.9 ฿1,851

-0.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 $3.87

$1.51 ฿51.0

156.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$0.78 ฿26.17

116.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.74 $28.74

$3.84 ฿129

648.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.49 ฿50.2

-39.60%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.9K ฿906.7K

0.88%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.3K ฿888.6K

2.81%

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

$188 $188

$97.8 ฿3,299

91.77%

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

$52.2 $52.2

$11.29 ฿381

361.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.4 $66.4

$17.19 ฿580

286.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.27 $39.27

$68.3 ฿2,305

-42.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.92 ฿368

12.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.07 $14.07

$7.43 ฿251

89.37%

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

$1,396 $1,396

$530 ฿17.9K

163.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.3K $44.3K

$18.8K ฿633.5K

135.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$61.7 ฿2,080

-7.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.87 $37.87

$28.25 ฿953

34.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 $78.6

$96.0 ฿3,238

-18.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 $70.5

$86.8 ฿2,928

-18.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,647 $1,647

$721 ฿24.3K

128.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 $1,423

$509 ฿17.2K

179.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,643 $3,643

$1,950 ฿65.8K

86.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,097 $3,097

$1,397 ฿47.1K

121.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,527 $3,527

$4,192 ฿141.4K

-15.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,540 $3,540

$3,298 ฿111.3K

7.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,031 $4,031

$492 ฿16.6K

720.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

5.57

9.52%

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

Last update for Lowell, MA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lowell, MA

$1.4K 54.2%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 64.2% $914

Groceries & Markets

Lowell, MA

$368 14.1%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 27.6% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lowell, MA

$306 11.7%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 58.7% $180

Eating Out

Lowell, MA

$274 10.5%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 56.4% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Lowell, MA

$110 4.2%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 11.8% $13

Getting Around

Lowell, MA

$74 2.8%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 11.1% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Lowell, MA

$67 2.6%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 23.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,647 in Lowell, MA versus $721 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 Lowell, MA are about 8.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Lowell, MA versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $267 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lowell, MA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

19:17 7:17 PM

07:17 7:17 AM

12 h ahead of Lowell, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,519

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 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 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Lowell, MA Phuket 14,300 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Lowell, MA
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

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

Yes – Lowell, MA is pricier by about 103%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,934 per month in Lowell, MA and $1,940 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 $721 there versus $1,647 in Lowell, MA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,623 in Lowell, MA and $1,294 in Phuket. That makes Phuket about 51% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,396 per month in Lowell, MA and $530 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 Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Lowell, MA at $2,623. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lowell, MA 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 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, Lowell, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.