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: $2,790 in Passaic, NJ versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,163 in Passaic, NJ versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,535 in Passaic, NJ versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Passaic, NJ is roughly 121% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Passaic, NJ is 109% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.89 $16.89

$4.53 ฿153

272.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 $98.9

$46.36 ฿1,565

113.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$8.65 ฿292

36.18%

Cappuccino

$5.85 $5.85

$3.09 ฿104

89.32%

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

$2.29 $2.29

$0.68 ฿22.89

236.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.37 ฿12.44

321.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 $7.04

$2.42 ฿81.6

190.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 $7.17

$3.81 ฿129

88.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.18 ฿73.5

-39.45%

White Bread (500g)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.82 ฿61.3

135.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$2.18 ฿73.5

154.13%

Eggs

$6.68 $6.68

$2.24 ฿75.4

198.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.68 $17.68

$19.93 ฿673

-11.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.30 $10.30

$3.64 ฿123

182.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.87 $19.87

$13.56 ฿458

46.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$3.29 ฿111

69.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.69 ฿56.9

44.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.33 ฿78.8

78.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.03 ฿68.4

111.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$1.60 ฿54.0

133.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.49 ฿50.5

166.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.01 ฿34.17

191.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$0.48 ฿16.09

485.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.85 $17.85

$4.45 ฿150

301.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 $14.98

$18.63 ฿629

-19.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.79 ฿60.3

1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.80 ฿94.4

36.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.42 ฿47.90

41.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$119 $119

$11.33 ฿382

954.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.09 ฿104

-0.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.04 ฿35.19

105.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 $41.67

$13.63 ฿460

205.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.31 ฿44.23

-32.06%

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

$23.7K $23.7K

$27.3K ฿920.7K

-13.29%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-23.46%

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

$185 $185

$123 ฿4,157

49.94%

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

$54.6 $54.6

$13.81 ฿466

295.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 $59.1

$18.52 ฿625

218.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.34 $43.34

$60.4 ฿2,037

-28.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿567

Cinema Ticket

$20.30 $20.30

$8.89 ฿300

128.35%

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

$1,486 $1,486

$687 ฿23.2K

116.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$15.6K ฿524.8K

2.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$57.6 ฿1,945

-13.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.41 $48.41

$34.66 ฿1,170

39.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 $87.3

$115 ฿3,879

-24.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 $99.5

$84.9 ฿2,865

17.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 $1,583

$618 ฿20.8K

156.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 $1,361

$443 ฿15.0K

207.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,675 $2,675

$2,047 ฿69.1K

30.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,186 $2,186

$1,506 ฿50.8K

45.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,397 $2,397

$3,568 ฿120.4K

-32.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,670 $2,670

$2,511 ฿84.7K

6.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Passaic, NJ and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99.0 in Passaic, NJ vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $461 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

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

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 121% 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 $4,186 in Passaic, NJ and $1,891 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: $1,583 in Passaic, NJ versus $618 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 $46.00 versus $99.0 in Passaic, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,790 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 $1,261 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 121% less than in Passaic, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.