Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Elizabeth City, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth City, NC
Learn more

Elizabeth City, NC Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Elizabeth City, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,456

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Elizabeth City, NC

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 Elizabeth City, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Elizabeth City, NC $2,456

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $3,522 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Elizabeth City, NC $3,522

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $4,588 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Elizabeth City, NC $4,588

Phuket is about 51% cheaper than Elizabeth City, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Elizabeth City, NC is 81% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$11.95 $11.95

-63.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$34.93 $34.93

-7.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$11.60 $11.60

-24.48%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$5.84 $5.84

-51.54%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$2.52 $2.52

-64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$2.04 $2.04

-76.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$6.14 $6.14

-58.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$7.09 $7.09

-45.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$0.95 $0.95

82.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$3.65 $3.65

-59.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$3.00 $3.00

-49.67%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$4.78 $4.78

-54.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$10.81 $10.81

82.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$10.01 $10.01

-66.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$17.49 $17.49

-36.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$4.38 $4.38

-34.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.28 $1.28

32.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$4.39 $4.39

-50.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$4.53 $4.53

-54.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$2.16 $2.16

-32.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$2.21 $2.21

-37.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$2.01 $2.01

-46.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$2.23 $2.23

-77.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$8.86 $8.86

-51.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$14.74 $14.74

26.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$2.12 $2.12

-16.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.65 $2.65

7.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.81 $1.81

24.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$2.92 $2.92

3.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.93 $1.93

-45.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$18.19 $18.19

-78.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.00 $1.00

45.00%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$30.6K $30.6K

-13.94%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$25.6K $25.6K

5.14%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$183 $183

-47.35%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$56.8 $56.8

-80.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$59.6 $59.6

-71.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$45.64 $45.64

14.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$15.06 $15.06

-48.14%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$1,491 $1,491

-62.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$24.9K $24.9K

-53.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$54.7 $54.7

17.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$40.11 $40.11

-28.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$87.8 $87.8

8.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$143 $143

-38.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$1,584 $1,584

-53.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$1,279 $1,279

-63.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$2,494 $2,494

-16.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$2,164 $2,164

-44.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,870 $2,870

21.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$2,355 $2,355

7.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.61

-15.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Elizabeth City, NC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Elizabeth City, NC

$1.3K 52.1% 177% $816

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Elizabeth City, NC

$373 15.2% 38.9% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Elizabeth City, NC

$299 12.2% 140% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Elizabeth City, NC

$146 6% 17.7% $22

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Elizabeth City, NC

$264 10.7% 117% $142

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Elizabeth City, NC

$76 3.1% 11.7% $8

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Elizabeth City, NC

$20 * 0.8% 49.8% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $1,584 in Elizabeth City, NC. 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $35.00 in Elizabeth City, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $373 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Elizabeth City, NC

🕒 Local time

10:18 10:18 AM

23:18 11:18 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

18,683

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Elizabeth City, NC 15,070 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Elizabeth City, NC

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 Elizabeth City, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,208 in Phuket, $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC – roughly 103% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $3,685 in Elizabeth City, NC. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $35.00 in Elizabeth City, NC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Elizabeth City, NC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Elizabeth City, NC at $2,456. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Elizabeth City, NC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,208 in Phuket to $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Elizabeth City, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.