Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Middletown, NJ and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,647 in Middletown, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Middletown, NJ
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Middletown, NJ Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Middletown, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,647

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,647 per month in Middletown, NJ vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

Middletown, NJ $2,647
Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $3,949 per month in Middletown, NJ vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

Middletown, NJ $3,949
Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $5,251 per month in Middletown, NJ vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

Middletown, NJ $5,251
Phuket $3,115

Middletown, NJ costs about 105% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Middletown, NJ sits 96% above the global median, while Phuket is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.84 $19.84

$4.39 ฿147

351.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 $104

$32.31 ฿1,085

222.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.20 $12.20

$8.70 ฿292

40.23%

Cappuccino

$5.52 $5.52

$2.72 ฿91.5

102.94%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$0.93 ฿31.25

183.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.50 ฿16.78

370.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 $6.42

$2.53 ฿85.0

153.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.05 $9.05

$3.63 ฿122

149.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.74 ฿58.4

-24.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.45 ฿48.73

145.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$1.50 ฿50.5

259.33%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$2.17 ฿73.0

80.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.20 $13.20

$19.09 ฿641

-30.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 $6.71

$3.40 ฿114

97.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.32 $13.32

$10.90 ฿366

22.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.94 ฿98.8

15.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.69 ฿56.8

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.19 ฿73.7

22.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.12 ฿71.4

103.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.46 ฿48.99

10.96%

Onion (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.37 ฿45.95

216.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.08 ฿36.14

137.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.55 ฿18.32

347.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.13 $9.13

$4.43 ฿149

106.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.15 $20.15

$18.25 ฿613

10.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.77 ฿59.5

58.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.88 ฿96.8

17.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.45 ฿48.62

51.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.6 $65.6

$54.9 ฿1,844

19.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.51 ฿50.8

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.78 ฿26.06

175.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.59 $42.59

$3.84 ฿129

1009.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.49 ฿49.96

-22.82%

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

$31.3K $31.3K

$26.9K ฿902.9K

16.32%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$26.3K ฿884.9K

-3.22%

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

$224 $224

$97.8 ฿3,285

128.72%

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

$60.8 $60.8

$11.29 ฿379

438.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$17.19 ฿577

256.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.02 $36.02

$68.3 ฿2,295

-47.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$19.85 $19.85

$7.43 ฿250

167.16%

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

$3,074 $3,074

$530 ฿17.8K

479.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K $20.8K

$18.8K ฿630.9K

10.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 $70.4

$61.7 ฿2,072

14.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.1 $76.1

$28.25 ฿949

169.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$96.0 ฿3,225

26.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$86.8 ฿2,916

40.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 $1,553

$721 ฿24.2K

115.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 $1,258

$509 ฿17.1K

147.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,518 $2,518

$1,950 ฿65.5K

29.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 $2,106

$1,397 ฿46.9K

50.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,933 $2,933

$4,192 ฿140.8K

-30.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,558 $2,558

$3,298 ฿110.8K

-22.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,066 $3,066

$492 ฿16.5K

523.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

5.57

21.72%

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

Last update for Middletown, NJ: 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

Middletown, NJ

$1.3K 47.5%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 59.6% $749

Groceries & Markets

Middletown, NJ

$372 14.1%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 28.3% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Middletown, NJ

$346 13.1%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 63.5% $219

Eating Out

Middletown, NJ

$332 12.5%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 64% $212

Clothing & Footwear

Middletown, NJ

$175 6.6%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 30% $53

Getting Around

Middletown, NJ

$88 3.3%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 25.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Middletown, NJ

$76 2.9%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 9.9% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,553 in Middletown, NJ 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 Middletown, NJ are about 6.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Middletown, NJ versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $372 vs $267 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Middletown, NJ

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

23:32 11:32 PM

11:32 11:32 AM

12 h ahead of Middletown, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,812

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Middletown, NJ Phuket 14,590 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Middletown, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,647 in Middletown, NJ, $1,294 in Phuket – Phuket comes out roughly 51% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,970 per month in Middletown, NJ 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 $1,553 in Middletown, NJ.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,647 in Middletown, NJ and $1,294 in Phuket. That makes Phuket about 51% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Middletown, NJ at $2,647. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Middletown, 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 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, Middletown, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.