Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newport, RI and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,609 in Newport, RI, rent and utilities included – about $28,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

176

Cost of Living Index in Newport, RI
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Newport, RI Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Newport, RI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,609

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,609 in Newport, RI versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Newport, RI $3,609
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,604 in Newport, RI versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Newport, RI $4,604
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,598 in Newport, RI versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Newport, RI $5,598
Phuket $3,154

Living in Newport, RI is roughly 182% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Newport, RI is 165% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.11 $20.11

$4.47 ฿151

349.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 $74.8

$32.41 ฿1,093

130.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.83 $12.83

$8.81 ฿297

45.63%

Cappuccino

$5.17 $5.17

$2.83 ฿95.4

82.69%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$0.87 ฿29.41

234.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.49 ฿16.65

395.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 $6.17

$2.56 ฿86.3

141.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.11 $9.11

$3.68 ฿124

147.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.66 ฿55.9

-36.14%

White Bread (500g)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.46 ฿49.31

217.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$16.14 $16.14

$1.50 ฿50.5

976.00%

Eggs

$6.19 $6.19

$2.09 ฿70.5

196.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 $10.74

$19.07 ฿643

-43.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 $10.57

$3.30 ฿111

220.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.15 $19.15

$10.91 ฿368

75.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$2.93 ฿98.9

92.15%

Banana (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.69 ฿57.0

166.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.25 ฿75.8

51.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.08 ฿70.0

51.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.51 ฿51.0

44.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.38 ฿46.52

73.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.07 ฿35.96

159.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$0.52 ฿17.51

446.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.79 $13.79

$4.20 ฿142

228.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.32 $17.32

$18.79 ฿634

-7.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.82 ฿61.5

2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.84 ฿95.8

-0.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.45 ฿48.98

34.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 $71.0

$56.7 ฿1,912

25.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 $5.83

$3.02 ฿102

93.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.47 ฿49.76

-28.57%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

4.63%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-1.05%

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

$178 $178

$96.4 ฿3,251

84.86%

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

$37.22 $37.22

$11.26 ฿380

230.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 $58.8

$16.85 ฿568

249.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.2 $90.2

$67.2 ฿2,268

34.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 $12.37

$7.50 ฿253

64.93%

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

$2,130 $2,130

$476 ฿16.1K

347.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.16 $38.16

$62.4 ฿2,104

-38.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.01 $16.01

$28.41 ฿958

-43.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 $99.5

$94.3 ฿3,181

5.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,484 $2,484

$716 ฿24.2K

247.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,255 $2,255

$491 ฿16.6K

359.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,579 $3,579

$1,927 ฿65.0K

85.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,612 $2,612

$1,431 ฿48.3K

82.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,517 $8,517

$4,175 ฿140.9K

103.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,083 $5,083

$3,045 ฿102.7K

66.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 $2,827

$502 ฿16.9K

462.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

5.57

12.03%

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

Last update for Newport, RI: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newport, RI

$2.3K 62.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 78.2% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Newport, RI

$479 13.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 44.5% $213

Eating Out

Newport, RI

$332 9.2%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 63.3% $210

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newport, RI

$274 7.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 54.6% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Newport, RI

$115 3.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 28.5% $33

Getting Around

Newport, RI

$85 * 2.3%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 16.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Newport, RI

$69 * 1.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 76.3% $53

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,484 in Newport, RI and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Newport, RI pays about 5.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Newport, RI vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $479 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Newport, RI

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:07 12:07 AM

11:07 11:07 AM

11 h ahead of Newport, RI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,409

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 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 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Newport, RI Phuket 14,430 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Newport, RI
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

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

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Newport, RI. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Newport, RI is about 5.6 times higher, 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: $2,484 in Newport, RI versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Newport, RI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $75 in Newport, RI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,609 in Newport, RI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Newport, RI. 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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Newport, RI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.