Cost of Living Comparison Between Newport, RI and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Newport, RI and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,665 in Newport, RI versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,654 in Newport, RI versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,643 in Newport, RI versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Newport, RI is roughly 198% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Newport, RI is 174% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 $16.87

$4.63 ฿151

264.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 $75.1

$46.84 ฿1,532

60.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.23 $13.23

$8.84 ฿289

49.66%

Cappuccino

$4.98 $4.98

$3.00 ฿98.0

66.00%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$0.74 ฿24.25

222.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.37 ฿11.95

508.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$2.44 ฿79.8

181.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 $7.88

$3.61 ฿118

118.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.26 ฿73.9

-47.79%

White Bread (500g)

$6.30 $6.30

$1.84 ฿60.1

242.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.59 $8.59

$2.24 ฿73.4

283.48%

Eggs

$5.49 $5.49

$2.32 ฿75.7

136.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.79 $9.79

$19.67 ฿643

-50.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.17 $10.17

$3.65 ฿119

178.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.99 $17.99

$13.10 ฿428

37.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$3.39 ฿111

64.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.64 ฿53.7

30.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.41 ฿79.0

80.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.03 ฿66.4

140.39%

Potato (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.56 ฿50.9

181.41%

Onion (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.50 ฿48.94

209.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.02 ฿33.50

135.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.49 ฿16.00

342.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.55 $13.55

$4.45 ฿145

204.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$18.88 ฿617

-20.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.78 ฿58.1

5.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.75 ฿90.1

28.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.40 ฿45.81

40.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 $70.6

$11.48 ฿376

515.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 $5.83

$3.12 ฿102

86.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.00 ฿32.67

42.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.39 $29.39

$14.09 ฿461

108.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.35 ฿44.19

-32.59%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

8.68%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-22.82%

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

$147 $147

$125 ฿4,087

17.54%

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

$44.37 $44.37

$13.57 ฿444

226.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 $55.6

$18.52 ฿606

200.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.5 $91.5

$61.5 ฿2,010

48.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$12.86 $12.86

$9.19 ฿300

39.93%

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

$1,409 $1,409

$698 ฿22.8K

101.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

52.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.07 $37.07

$57.8 ฿1,889

-35.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.33 $24.33

$35.24 ฿1,152

-30.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 $88.2

$113 ฿3,699

-22.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 $71.3

$86.4 ฿2,825

-17.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,541 $2,541

$616 ฿20.1K

312.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,307 $2,307

$446 ฿14.6K

417.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,629 $3,629

$2,048 ฿67.0K

77.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 $2,589

$1,492 ฿48.8K

73.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,371 $8,371

$3,779 ฿123.6K

121.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,962 $4,962

$2,649 ฿86.6K

87.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,872 $2,872

$524 ฿17.1K

448.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

5.33

21.58%

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

Last update for Newport, RI: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,541 in Newport, RI and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Newport, RI pays 448% 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: $75.0 in Newport, RI vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $453 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

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

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 198% 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.

Newport, RI pays 448% more on average, 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: $2,541 in Newport, RI versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% 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 $47.00 versus $75.0 in Newport, RI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,665 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 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, Newport, RI 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 198% less than in Newport, RI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.