Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fayetteville, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,242 in Fayetteville, NC, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Fayetteville, NC
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Fayetteville, NC Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Fayetteville, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Fayetteville, 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 Fayetteville, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $2,242 in Fayetteville, NC, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Fayetteville, NC $2,242

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $3,169 in Fayetteville, NC, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Fayetteville, NC $3,169

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $4,097 in Fayetteville, NC, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Fayetteville, NC $4,097

Phuket is about 42% cheaper than Fayetteville, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 4% below the global median, while Fayetteville, NC is 66% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$18.60 $18.60

-76.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,086

$60.9 $60.9

-46.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

$12.03 $12.03

-27.68%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.6

$4.84 $4.84

-43.80%

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

$0.93 ฿31.28

$2.22 $2.22

-58.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.79

$1.69 $1.69

-70.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

$5.15 $5.15

-50.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$6.31 $6.31

-42.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$0.87 $0.87

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.77

$3.77 $3.77

-61.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.29 $3.29

-54.41%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$3.73 $3.73

-41.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿642

$10.26 $10.26

86.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$8.63 $8.63

-60.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$16.91 $16.91

-35.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.9

$4.04 $4.04

-27.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$2.25 $2.25

-24.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.8

$4.03 $4.03

-45.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$4.47 $4.47

-52.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.03

$2.34 $2.34

-37.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.99

$3.20 $3.20

-57.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.17

$1.80 $1.80

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.34

$2.04 $2.04

-73.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$8.70 $8.70

-49.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

$12.35 $12.35

47.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

$1.61 $1.61

9.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$3.06 $3.06

-5.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

$1.27 $1.27

14.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

$40.48 $40.48

35.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$3.70 $3.70

-59.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.08

$1.76 $1.76

-55.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$23.62 $23.62

-83.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$0.99 $0.99

50.51%

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

$26.9K ฿903.7K

$27.0K $27.0K

-0.48%

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

$26.3K ฿885.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

0.15%

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

$97.8 ฿3,288

$180 $180

-45.68%

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

$11.29 ฿380

$70.6 $70.6

-84.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿578

$64.0 $64.0

-73.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

$17.88 $17.88

282.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$39.88 $39.88

-72.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$13.10 $13.10

-43.28%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$759 $759

-30.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿631.4K

$14.6K $14.6K

28.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,073

$50.6 $50.6

21.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿950

$37.15 $37.15

-23.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,228

$71.2 $71.2

34.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,919

$117 $117

-25.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$1,337 $1,337

-46.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$1,048 $1,048

-51.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

$2,252 $2,252

-13.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

$1,463 $1,463

-4.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

$1,861 $1,861

125.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

$1,441 $1,441

128.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$3,053 $3,053

-83.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.36

-12.42%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Fayetteville, NC: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Fayetteville, NC

$1K 46.8% 106% $540

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Fayetteville, NC

$355 15.9% 33.1% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Fayetteville, NC

$315 14% 149% $188

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Fayetteville, NC

$124 5.5% 1.1% $1.3

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Fayetteville, NC

$297 13.3% 148% $177

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Fayetteville, NC

$44 2% 47% $39

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Fayetteville, NC

$58 2.6% 12.1% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $1,337 in Fayetteville, NC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Fayetteville, NC are about 6.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $61 in Fayetteville, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $355 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Fayetteville, NC

🕒 Local time

06:13 6:13 AM

18:13 6:13 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

93,949

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Fayetteville, NC 15,230 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Fayetteville, 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 Fayetteville, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fayetteville, NC costs about 73% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $3,362 in Fayetteville, 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $721 there versus $1,337 in Fayetteville, NC.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Fayetteville, NC, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $61 in Fayetteville, NC. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Fayetteville, NC at $2,242. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fayetteville, NC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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