Cost of Living Comparison Between North East, MD and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between North East, MD and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,699 in North East, MD versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,004 in North East, MD versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,309 in North East, MD versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in North East, MD is roughly 113% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: North East, MD is 101% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.23 $24.23

$4.66 ฿150

419.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$46.44 ฿1,496

94.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 $11.04

$8.68 ฿280

27.19%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$2.95 ฿95.0

82.71%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$0.70 ฿22.52

321.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$0.39 ฿12.70

576.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$2.53 ฿81.6

211.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$3.78 ฿122

144.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.22 ฿71.5

-44.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 $3.87

$1.80 ฿57.8

115.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$2.19 ฿70.4

210.05%

Eggs

$4.10 $4.10

$2.31 ฿74.5

77.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.04 $19.04

$19.34 ฿623

-1.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.13 $15.13

$3.77 ฿121

301.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.41 $25.41

$13.22 ฿426

92.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.64 $6.64

$3.33 ฿107

99.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.65 ฿53.1

7.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.29 ฿73.7

133.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$1.99 ฿64.1

194.97%

Potato (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.53 ฿49.24

179.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.51 ฿48.77

113.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.03 ฿33.12

120.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$0.51 ฿16.57

462.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.22 $12.22

$4.41 ฿142

177.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.19 $17.19

$19.41 ฿625

-11.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.80 ฿58.0

8.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.68 ฿86.4

22.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.43 ฿46.11

43.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.04 ฿97.9

-8.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.04 ฿33.37

35.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.81 $24.81

$13.68 ฿441

81.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.30 ฿41.85

-32.31%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

11.75%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-22.74%

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

$128 $128

$123 ฿3,962

4.04%

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

$44.33 $44.33

$13.82 ฿445

220.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$18.86 ฿608

278.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.61 $43.61

$61.2 ฿1,970

-28.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$14.89 $14.89

$8.87 ฿286

67.87%

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

$1,939 $1,939

$696 ฿22.4K

178.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.7K $36.7K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

128.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 $56.9

$59.3 ฿1,910

-4.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 $53.9

$34.85 ฿1,123

54.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 $93.5

$113 ฿3,646

-17.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$85.1 ฿2,740

38.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 $1,587

$615 ฿19.8K

157.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 $1,329

$448 ฿14.4K

196.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,591 $2,591

$2,085 ฿67.2K

24.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,220 $2,220

$1,496 ฿48.2K

48.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,030 $3,030

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-18.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,268 $2,268

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-14.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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 North East, MD: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,587 in North East, MD and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90 in North East, MD vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $512 vs $291 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

North East, MD vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 113% lower than in North East, MD. 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 $4,049 in North East, MD and $1,904 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: $1,587 in North East, MD versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in North East, MD. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,699 per month in North East, MD versus $1,270 in Phuket – a 113% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,699 in North East, MD, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in North East, MD. 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 $1,270 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, North East, MD 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 113% less than in North East, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.