Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Long Island, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $4,225 in Long Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $35,400 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
201

Cost of Living Index in Long Island, NY
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Long Island, NY Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,225

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Long Island, NY

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 Long Island, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $4,225 in Long Island, NY, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Long Island, NY $4,225

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $5,930 in Long Island, NY, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Long Island, NY $5,930

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $7,634 in Long Island, NY, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Long Island, NY $7,634

Phuket is about 70% cheaper than Long Island, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Long Island, NY is 210% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$25.14 $25.14

-82.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$98.5 $98.5

-67.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.99 $10.99

-19.84%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$5.08 $5.08

-44.29%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$2.14 $2.14

-59.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$1.58 $1.58

-68.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$8.02 $8.02

-68.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$7.91 $7.91

-53.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.32 $1.32

25.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$4.26 $4.26

-65.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.94 $1.94

-22.68%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$5.26 $5.26

-60.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.21 $7.21

164.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$11.89 $11.89

-72.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$16.22 $16.22

-32.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$4.27 $4.27

-31.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.20 $1.20

40.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.07 $2.07

8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$6.16 $6.16

-66.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.07 $1.07

41.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$2.18 $2.18

-36.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.48 $1.48

-27.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$2.85 $2.85

-81.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$11.85 $11.85

-64.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$17.58 $17.58

6.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.76 $1.76

3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$4.09 $4.09

-30.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$2.97 $2.97

-51.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$130 $130

-56.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.99 $2.99

1.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$2.00 $2.00

-49.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$24.41 $24.41

-84.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.11 $1.11

32.43%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$27.5K $27.5K

-2.60%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.58%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$192 $192

-49.76%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$48.26 $48.26

-76.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$53.7 $53.7

-68.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$31.30 $31.30

114.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$102 $102

-89.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$14.69 $14.69

-48.94%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$2,444 $2,444

-80.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$23.5K $23.5K

-52.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$40.07 $40.07

55.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$56.7 $56.7

-49.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$76.3 $76.3

23.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$155 $155

-44.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$3,189 $3,189

-77.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$2,820 $2,820

-82.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$5,670 $5,670

-66.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$4,315 $4,315

-66.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$5,973 $5,973

-30.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$4,241 $4,241

-28.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$4,981 $4,981

-89.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.63

-15.99%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Long Island, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Long Island, NY

$2.8K 66.8% 475% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Long Island, NY

$382 9% 43.4% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Long Island, NY

$294 7% 136% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Long Island, NY

$148 3.5% 21.3% $26

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Long Island, NY

$366 8.7% 201% $244

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Long Island, NY

$61 1.4% 26.2% $22

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Long Island, NY

$154 3.7% 119% $84

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $3,189 in Long Island, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Long Island, NY are about 9.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $99 in Long Island, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $382 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Long Island, NY

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

04:23 4:23 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

7,804,968

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 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

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Between locations

Phuket Long Island, NY 14,530 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Long Island, NY

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 Long Island, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $4,225 in Long Island, NY – Phuket comes out roughly 70% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $6,337 in Long Island, NY. 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 $716 there versus $3,189 in Long Island, NY.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $2,444 in Long Island, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Long Island, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Long Island, NY at $4,225. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Long Island, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Long Island, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $4,225 in Long Island, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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