Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newport News, VA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,738 in Newport News, VA, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Newport News, VA
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Newport News, VA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Newport News, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,738

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,738 in Newport News, VA versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Newport News, VA $2,738
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,798 in Newport News, VA versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Newport News, VA $3,798
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,858 in Newport News, VA versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Newport News, VA $4,858
Phuket $2,867

Living in Newport News, VA is roughly 127% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Newport News, VA is 103% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.29 $28.29

$4.58 ฿153

517.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 $60.8

$32.48 ฿1,086

87.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 $10.44

$8.55 ฿286

22.11%

Cappuccino

$6.17 $6.17

$2.72 ฿91.0

126.84%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$0.94 ฿31.25

177.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.49 ฿16.39

318.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 $7.88

$2.59 ฿86.6

204.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.77 $7.77

$3.83 ฿128

102.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.74 ฿58.1

-45.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.53 $3.53

$1.43 ฿47.82

146.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$1.53 ฿51.0

119.61%

Eggs

$2.86 $2.86

$2.17 ฿72.7

31.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 $7.51

$19.15 ฿640

-60.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.13 $11.13

$3.30 ฿110

237.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.66 $18.66

$11.14 ฿372

67.50%

Apples (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$2.95 ฿98.5

135.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.68 ฿56.1

-38.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.30 ฿76.8

114.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.13 ฿71.3

90.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.53 ฿51.1

73.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.36 ฿45.55

130.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.12 ฿37.44

80.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$0.55 ฿18.24

387.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.74 $7.74

$4.26 ฿142

81.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.06 $16.06

$18.19 ฿608

-11.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.74 ฿58.2

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 $5.60

$2.79 ฿93.3

100.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.22 ฿74.1

31.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.13 $40.13

$22.06 ฿737

81.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.91 ฿97.3

34.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.01 ฿33.79

30.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.22 $25.22

$3.83 ฿128

558.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.49 ฿49.85

-34.23%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

38.66%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-1.51%

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

$209 $209

$99.4 ฿3,321

110.54%

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

$79.9 $79.9

$11.28 ฿377

608.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.8 $78.8

$17.36 ฿580

353.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.56 $39.56

$52.3 ฿1,747

-24.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$13.31 $13.31

$7.57 ฿253

75.83%

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

$3,164 $3,164

$558 ฿18.7K

466.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.7K $40.7K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

254.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$62.9 ฿2,102

-13.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.64 $44.64

$28.58 ฿955

56.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$96.1 ฿3,213

6.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$88.1 ฿2,943

40.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 $1,407

$729 ฿24.4K

92.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 $1,299

$460 ฿15.4K

182.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,324 $2,324

$2,096 ฿70.0K

10.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 $1,792

$1,222 ฿40.8K

46.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,245 $2,245

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-35.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,236 $2,236

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-10.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,938 $3,938

$493 ฿16.5K

698.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

5.57

17.41%

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

Last update for Newport News, VA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newport News, VA

$1.3K 47.5%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 64.6% $839

Eating Out

Newport News, VA

$405 14.8%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 70.1% $284

Groceries & Markets

Newport News, VA

$391 14.3%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 31.6% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newport News, VA

$368 13.4%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 65.2% $240

Clothing & Footwear

Newport News, VA

$146 5.3%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 15.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Newport News, VA

$66 2.4%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 1.9% $1.2

Getting Around

Newport News, VA

$62 2.3%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 37.6% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,407 in Newport News, VA and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Newport News, VA pays 699% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Newport News, VA vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Newport News, VA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

14:32 2:32 PM

01:32 1:32 AM

11 h ahead of Newport News, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

186,247

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 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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Newport News, VA Phuket 15,000 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

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Newport News, VA
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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

Newport News, VA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Newport News, VA and Phuket differ by about 127% in total monthly costs ($2,738 vs $1,207 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 699% higher in Newport News, VA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,407 in Newport News, VA versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,738 per month in Newport News, VA versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 82% less than in Newport News, VA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,738 in Newport News, VA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Newport News, VA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Newport News, VA 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 127% less than in Newport News, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.