Cost of Living Comparison Between Passaic, NJ and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Passaic, NJ and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,768 in Passaic, NJ versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,124 in Passaic, NJ versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,481 in Passaic, NJ versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Passaic, NJ is roughly 119% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Passaic, NJ is 107% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.11 $17.11

$4.70 ฿154

264.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.3 $98.3

$45.37 ฿1,489

116.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 $11.96

$8.43 ฿277

41.87%

Cappuccino

$5.85 $5.85

$2.93 ฿96.1

99.66%

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

$2.26 $2.26

$0.69 ฿22.50

227.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$0.37 ฿12.04

337.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 $6.96

$2.41 ฿79.0

188.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$3.72 ฿122

86.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.23 ฿73.3

-40.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.14 $4.14

$1.83 ฿60.1

126.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$2.17 ฿71.1

167.74%

Eggs

$6.60 $6.60

$2.21 ฿72.6

198.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.31 $17.31

$19.74 ฿648

-12.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.48 $10.48

$3.63 ฿119

188.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.58 $19.58

$13.53 ฿444

44.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$3.28 ฿108

76.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.61 ฿52.9

59.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.41 ฿79.0

81.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.08 ฿68.4

110.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$1.53 ฿50.2

143.79%

Onion (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.48 ฿48.58

170.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.99 ฿32.44

205.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$0.51 ฿16.74

437.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.52 $17.52

$4.41 ฿145

297.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$19.38 ฿636

-23.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.78 ฿58.4

2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.71 ฿89.0

43.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.37 ฿44.99

43.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 $121

$11.39 ฿374

958.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.02 ฿99.1

1.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.99 ฿32.63

125.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.67 $42.67

$14.10 ฿463

202.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.36 ฿44.71

-29.41%

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

$23.2K $23.2K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

-17.76%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-22.79%

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

$181 $181

$122 ฿3,993

49.10%

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

$54.3 $54.3

$13.57 ฿445

300.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 $58.9

$18.31 ฿601

221.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.74 $42.74

$60.2 ฿1,976

-29.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$20.03 $20.03

$8.69 ฿285

130.49%

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

$1,476 $1,476

$693 ฿22.8K

112.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$15.7K ฿514.7K

1.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 $50.3

$59.5 ฿1,953

-15.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.54 $48.54

$34.77 ฿1,141

39.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$115 ฿3,760

-25.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.5 $97.5

$83.3 ฿2,733

17.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 $1,590

$613 ฿20.1K

159.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 $1,330

$437 ฿14.3K

204.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,619 $2,619

$2,094 ฿68.7K

25.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,246 $2,246

$1,509 ฿49.5K

48.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,531 $2,531

$3,749 ฿123.0K

-32.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,315 $2,315

$2,616 ฿85.8K

-11.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

5.33

20.83%

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

Last update for Passaic, NJ: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,590 in Passaic, NJ and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Passaic, NJ vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $461 vs $293 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

Passaic, NJ vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 119% lower than in Passaic, NJ. 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 $4,152 in Passaic, NJ and $1,898 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: $1,590 in Passaic, NJ versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Passaic, NJ. 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 $45.00 versus $98.0 in Passaic, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,768 in Passaic, NJ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Passaic, NJ. 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 $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Passaic, NJ 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 119% less than in Passaic, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.