Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lexington, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,672 in Lexington, MA, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Lexington, MA
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Lexington, MA Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Lexington, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,672

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Lexington, MA

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 Lexington, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,672 in Lexington, MA.

Phuket $1,208
Lexington, MA $2,672

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $4,542 in Lexington, MA.

Phuket $2,027
Lexington, MA $4,542

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $6,412 in Lexington, MA.

Phuket $2,845
Lexington, MA $6,412

Living in Phuket costs roughly 55% less than in Lexington, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Lexington, MA is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$20.23 $20.23

-78.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$74.1 $74.1

-56.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$15.84 $15.84

-44.70%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$4.89 $4.89

-42.13%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$2.86 $2.86

-68.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$2.05 $2.05

-77.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$6.81 $6.81

-62.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$7.98 $7.98

-52.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.17 $1.17

47.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$3.93 $3.93

-62.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$4.72 $4.72

-68.01%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$4.18 $4.18

-48.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$12.65 $12.65

55.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$12.65 $12.65

-73.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$17.08 $17.08

-34.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$4.32 $4.32

-34.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.83 $1.83

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$4.53 $4.53

-51.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$5.17 $5.17

-60.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$2.39 $2.39

-39.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$2.93 $2.93

-52.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.99 $1.99

-46.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$2.21 $2.21

-76.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$8.55 $8.55

-50.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$16.74 $16.74

10.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.82 $1.82

-2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$3.42 $3.42

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$2.20 $2.20

2.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$2.73 $2.73

10.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.74 $1.74

-39.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$28.81 $28.81

-86.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.04 $1.04

39.42%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$27.7K $27.7K

-5.09%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$28.1K $28.1K

-4.11%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$189 $189

-49.05%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$59.2 $59.2

-81.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$70.5 $70.5

-75.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$42.12 $42.12

23.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$13.93 $13.93

-43.93%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$1,400 $1,400

-60.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$23.6K $23.6K

-50.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$58.6 $58.6

9.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$36.47 $36.47

-21.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$88.4 $88.4

7.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$111 $111

-20.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$1,530 $1,530

-51.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$1,380 $1,380

-66.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$2,878 $2,878

-27.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$3,564 $3,564

-66.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,775 $2,775

25.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$2,356 $2,356

7.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.79

-17.97%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lexington, MA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Lexington, MA

$1.4K 51.6% 198% $917

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Lexington, MA

$413 15.4% 53.5% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Lexington, MA

$319 11.9% 156% $194

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Lexington, MA

$133 5% 6.7% $8.3

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Lexington, MA

$338 12.6% 179% $217

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Lexington, MA

$70 2.6% 3.2% $2.2

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Lexington, MA

$20 * 0.8% 48.7% $19

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 $737 in Phuket and $1,530 in Lexington, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $74.0 in Lexington, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $413 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Lexington, MA

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

13:49 1:49 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

322,570

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Lexington, MA 14,320 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Lexington, MA

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 Lexington, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Lexington, MA differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($1,208 vs $2,672 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,813 in Phuket and $4,007 in Lexington, MA 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: $737 in Phuket versus $1,530 in Lexington, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Lexington, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,208 per month in Phuket versus $2,672 in Lexington, MA – a 121% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,672 in Lexington, MA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lexington, MA. 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Lexington, MA 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 Lexington, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.