Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Augusta, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,388 in Augusta, ME, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Augusta, ME
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Augusta, ME Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Augusta, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Augusta, ME

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Augusta, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,388 in Augusta, ME.

Phuket $1,278
Augusta, ME $2,388

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,317 in Augusta, ME.

Phuket $2,216
Augusta, ME $3,317

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,246 in Augusta, ME.

Phuket $3,154
Augusta, ME $4,246

Living in Phuket costs roughly 46% less than in Augusta, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Augusta, ME is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$19.90 $19.90

-77.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$53.1 $53.1

-38.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.39 $10.39

-15.21%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$5.40 $5.40

-47.59%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$2.36 $2.36

-63.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$1.59 $1.59

-69.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$5.02 $5.02

-49.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$7.72 $7.72

-52.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.14 $1.14

45.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$4.56 $4.56

-67.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.45 $1.45

3.45%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.96 $3.96

-47.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$15.09 $15.09

26.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$14.12 $14.12

-76.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$19.52 $19.52

-44.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$7.48 $7.48

-60.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.31 $1.31

29.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.09 $3.09

-27.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$4.59 $4.59

-54.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.33 $2.33

-35.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$2.86 $2.86

-51.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$2.08 $2.08

-48.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.81 $1.81

-71.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$11.98 $11.98

-64.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$12.99 $12.99

44.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.56 $1.56

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.55 $1.55

83.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.55 $2.55

18.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.27 $1.27

-19.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$28.55 $28.55

-87.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.90 $0.90

63.33%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$29.6K $29.6K

-9.47%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$24.3K $24.3K

9.97%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$243 $243

-60.34%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$45.59 $45.59

-75.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$61.0 $61.0

-72.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$22.60 $22.60

197.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$14.13 $14.13

-46.92%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$2,656 $2,656

-82.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$36.6K $36.6K

-69.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$73.5 $73.5

-15.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$50.9 $50.9

-44.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$113 $113

-16.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$154 $154

-44.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,200 $1,200

-40.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,078 $1,078

-54.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,602 $1,602

20.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,473 $1,473

-2.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,386 $2,386

75.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$2,378 $2,378

28.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$1,948 $1,948

-74.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.3

-11.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Augusta, ME: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Augusta, ME

$1.1K 45.2% 120% $587

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Augusta, ME

$413 17.3% 55.2% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Augusta, ME

$349 14.6% 181% $225

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Augusta, ME

$176 7.4% 44.7% $54

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Augusta, ME

$312 13% 156% $190

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Augusta, ME

$51 2.1% 38.2% $31

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Augusta, ME

$8.9 * 0.4% 87.4% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,200 in Augusta, ME. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Augusta, ME pays about 3.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $53 in Augusta, ME for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $413 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Augusta, ME

🕒 Local time

10:02 10:02 AM

22:02 10:02 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

194,343

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Augusta, ME 14,090 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Augusta, ME

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

Phuket vs Augusta, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $2,388 in Augusta, ME, so Phuket is about 46% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,200 in Augusta, ME. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $2,656 in Augusta, ME. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $53 in Augusta, ME. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,388 in Augusta, ME, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Augusta, ME. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Augusta, ME on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.