Cost of Living Comparison Between New Castle, DE and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between New Castle, DE and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,525 in New Castle, DE versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,691 in New Castle, DE versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,858 in New Castle, DE versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in New Castle, DE is roughly 105% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: New Castle, DE is 89% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.67 $19.67

$4.63 ฿151

324.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 $79.6

$46.84 ฿1,532

69.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$8.84 ฿289

70.14%

Cappuccino

$5.34 $5.34

$3.00 ฿98.0

78.00%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$0.74 ฿24.25

248.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.37 ฿11.95

454.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$2.44 ฿79.8

221.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$3.61 ฿118

127.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$2.26 ฿73.9

-66.37%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.84 ฿60.1

117.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.40 $9.40

$2.24 ฿73.4

319.64%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.32 ฿75.7

78.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 $12.22

$19.67 ฿643

-37.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.73 $11.73

$3.65 ฿119

221.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.14 $15.14

$13.10 ฿428

15.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.39 ฿111

-17.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.64 ฿53.7

51.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.41 ฿79.0

-10.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.03 ฿66.4

-15.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.56 ฿50.9

3.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.50 ฿48.94

142.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.02 ฿33.50

150.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$0.49 ฿16.00

504.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.11 $11.11

$4.45 ฿145

149.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.01 $15.01

$18.88 ฿617

-20.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.78 ฿58.1

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 $6.47

$2.75 ฿90.1

135.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.40 ฿45.81

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.96 $5.96

$3.12 ฿102

91.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.00 ฿32.67

38.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.87 $41.87

$14.09 ฿461

197.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.35 ฿44.19

-37.78%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

10.49%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-20.60%

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

$177 $177

$125 ฿4,087

41.22%

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

$50.9 $50.9

$13.57 ฿444

274.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.3 $55.3

$18.52 ฿606

198.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.45 $43.45

$61.5 ฿2,010

-29.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 $10.15

$9.19 ฿300

10.45%

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

$1,853 $1,853

$698 ฿22.8K

165.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.1K $40.1K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

157.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.45 $30.45

$57.8 ฿1,889

-47.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 $56.1

$35.24 ฿1,152

59.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 $50.3

$113 ฿3,699

-55.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$86.4 ฿2,825

17.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 $1,596

$616 ฿20.1K

159.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$446 ฿14.6K

197.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,630 $2,630

$2,048 ฿67.0K

28.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,492 ฿48.8K

47.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,944 $2,944

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-22.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,486 $2,486

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-6.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.33

22.89%

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

Last update for New Castle, DE: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,596 in New Castle, DE and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in New Castle, DE vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $292 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Castle, DE vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 105% lower than in New Castle, DE. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,787 in New Castle, DE and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,596 in New Castle, DE versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,853 in New Castle, DE versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $80.0 in New Castle, DE. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,525 in New Castle, DE, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in New Castle, DE. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, New Castle, DE and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in New Castle, DE. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.