Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newton, IA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,937 in Newton, IA, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Newton, IA
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Newton, IA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Newton, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,937

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,937 per month in Newton, IA vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Newton, IA $1,937
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Newton, IA vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Newton, IA $2,863
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $3,788 per month in Newton, IA vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Newton, IA $3,788
Phuket $3,154

Newton, IA costs about 52% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Newton, IA sits 42% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.09 $20.09

$4.47 ฿151

349.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.4 $61.4

$32.41 ฿1,094

89.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 $10.66

$8.81 ฿297

21.00%

Cappuccino

$5.12 $5.12

$2.83 ฿95.5

80.92%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$0.87 ฿29.43

185.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$0.49 ฿16.67

291.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.56 ฿86.4

100.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 $7.36

$3.68 ฿124

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.66 ฿56.0

-42.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.46 ฿49.35

127.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.50 ฿50.6

186.00%

Eggs

$2.70 $2.70

$2.09 ฿70.5

29.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.59 $6.59

$19.07 ฿644

-65.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$3.30 ฿111

280.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.52 $16.52

$10.91 ฿368

51.42%

Apples (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.93 ฿99.0

85.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.69 ฿57.1

21.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$2.25 ฿75.8

108.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.08 ฿70.1

106.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.51 ฿51.0

23.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.38 ฿46.56

107.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.07 ฿35.99

88.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$0.52 ฿17.52

453.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.04 $9.04

$4.20 ฿142

115.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.94 $9.94

$18.79 ฿634

-47.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.82 ฿61.5

-3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 $5.84

$2.84 ฿95.9

105.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.45 ฿49.03

40.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.5 $51.5

$56.7 ฿1,913

-9.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.02 ฿102

0.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.02 ฿34.36

32.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.21 $25.21

$3.69 ฿125

583.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.47 ฿49.81

-28.57%

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

$32.8K $32.8K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

22.52%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-5.33%

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

$183 $183

$96.4 ฿3,254

90.01%

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

$63.8 $63.8

$11.26 ฿380

466.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 $67.4

$16.85 ฿569

299.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.75 $40.75

$67.2 ฿2,270

-39.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$15.20 $15.20

$7.50 ฿253

102.67%

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

$993 $993

$476 ฿16.1K

108.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K $19.3K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

71.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.13 $18.13

$62.4 ฿2,106

-70.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.90 $14.90

$28.41 ฿959

-47.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 $78.6

$94.3 ฿3,184

-16.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.0 $98.0

$85.8 ฿2,898

14.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$850 $850

$716 ฿24.2K

18.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 $699

$491 ฿16.6K

42.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 $1,449

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-24.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 $1,109

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-22.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,682 $2,682

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-35.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,415 $2,415

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-20.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

5.57

17.95%

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

Last update for Newton, IA: 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

Newton, IA

$699 36.1%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 29.7% $208

Groceries & Markets

Newton, IA

$377 19.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 29.3% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newton, IA

$314 16.2%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 60.4% $190

Eating Out

Newton, IA

$312 16.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 61% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Newton, IA

$94 4.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 29.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Newton, IA

$71 3.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 15.6% $11

Getting Around

Newton, IA

$69 3.6%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 1.6% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $850 in Newton, IA versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Newton, IA versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Newton, IA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:59 12:59 PM

00:59 12:59 AM

12 h ahead of Newton, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,146

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Newton, IA Phuket 14,380 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Newton, IA
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

Newton, IA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Newton, IA is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,905 per month in Newton, IA and $1,917 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $850 in Newton, IA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Newton, IA and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,937 in Newton, IA and $1,278 in Phuket. That’s a gap of about 52%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Newton, IA at $1,937. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Newton, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.