Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Bedford, MA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,753 in New Bedford, MA, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in New Bedford, MA
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New Bedford, MA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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New Bedford, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,753

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,753 per month in New Bedford, MA vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

New Bedford, MA $2,753
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $3,820 per month in New Bedford, MA vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

New Bedford, MA $3,820
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $4,887 per month in New Bedford, MA vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

New Bedford, MA $4,887
Phuket $2,845

New Bedford, MA costs about 128% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

New Bedford, MA sits 103% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.68 $19.68

$4.40 ฿147

347.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 $59.1

$32.26 ฿1,078

83.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.95 $5.95

$8.76 ฿293

-32.08%

Cappuccino

$4.11 $4.11

$2.83 ฿94.5

45.23%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$0.90 ฿30.14

156.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.47 ฿15.56

161.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.55 ฿85.2

136.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.83 ฿128

6.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.73 ฿57.7

-41.62%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$1.47 ฿49.11

211.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$1.51 ฿50.6

976.82%

Eggs

$6.42 $6.42

$2.17 ฿72.7

195.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 $10.57

$19.70 ฿658

-46.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.74 $10.74

$3.34 ฿112

221.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 $19.16

$11.16 ฿373

71.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.85 ฿95.1

88.77%

Banana (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$1.70 ฿56.9

162.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.19 ฿73.3

54.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.05 ฿68.4

46.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.45 ฿48.57

53.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.38 ฿46.16

74.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.07 ฿35.69

157.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$0.51 ฿16.91

464.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.07 $13.07

$4.26 ฿142

206.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.85 $16.85

$18.58 ฿621

-9.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.78 ฿59.7

7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.85 ฿95.2

-0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.01 ฿101

103.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.06 ฿35.34

107.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.45 ฿48.45

-24.83%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

7.02%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-1.35%

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

$181 $181

$96.4 ฿3,221

88.03%

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

$36.85 $36.85

$11.04 ฿369

233.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 $58.6

$17.14 ฿573

241.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.95 $28.95

$52.2 ฿1,744

-44.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$12.43 $12.43

$7.81 ฿261

59.15%

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

$2,133 $2,133

$556 ฿18.6K

283.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.67 $38.67

$64.2 ฿2,146

-39.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.01 $16.01

$28.69 ฿959

-44.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 $99.5

$95.4 ฿3,187

4.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 $1,869

$737 ฿24.6K

153.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 $1,581

$462 ฿15.5K

242.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,615 $2,615

$2,095 ฿70.0K

24.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,341 $2,341

$1,201 ฿40.1K

94.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,641 $4,641

$501 ฿16.7K

826.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.42

5.57

-2.69%

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

Last update for New Bedford, MA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Bedford, MA

$1.6K 57.5%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 70.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

New Bedford, MA

$478 17.4%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 43.8% $209

Eating Out

New Bedford, MA

$277 10.1%

Phuket

$121 10% 56.2% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Bedford, MA

$277 10.1%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 55% $152

Clothing & Footwear

New Bedford, MA

$69 * 2.5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 79.2% $55

Sport & Entertainment

New Bedford, MA

$54 2%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 26% $14

Getting Around

New Bedford, MA

$17 * 0.6%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 131% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,869 in New Bedford, MA 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 827% higher in New Bedford, MA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in New Bedford, MA versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $478 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Bedford, MA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

14:37 2:37 PM

11 h ahead of New Bedford, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,538

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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New Bedford, MA Phuket 14,400 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

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New Bedford, MA
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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,753 in New Bedford, MA, $1,208 in Phuket – roughly 128% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,130 per month in New Bedford, MA 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 Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in New Bedford, MA and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 78% more in New Bedford, MA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in New Bedford, MA at $2,753. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Bedford, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,208 in Phuket to $2,753 in New Bedford, MA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New Bedford, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.