Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mount Laurel, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,546 in Mount Laurel, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Mount Laurel, NJ
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Mount Laurel, NJ Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Mount Laurel, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mount Laurel, NJ

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 Mount Laurel, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $2,546 in Mount Laurel, NJ, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Mount Laurel, NJ $2,546

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $3,715 in Mount Laurel, NJ, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Mount Laurel, NJ $3,715

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $4,885 in Mount Laurel, NJ, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Mount Laurel, NJ $4,885

Phuket is about 53% cheaper than Mount Laurel, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Mount Laurel, NJ is 88% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$17.17 $17.17

-74.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$81.2 $81.2

-60.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$11.78 $11.78

-25.64%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$5.17 $5.17

-45.26%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$3.05 $3.05

-70.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$1.94 $1.94

-75.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$3.02 $3.02

-15.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$5.87 $5.87

-34.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.46 $1.46

18.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$2.81 $2.81

-47.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$5.43 $5.43

-72.19%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.95 $3.95

-45.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$12.28 $12.28

60.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$6.56 $6.56

-49.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$13.33 $13.33

-16.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$5.66 $5.66

-49.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.61 $1.61

5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$4.34 $4.34

-49.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$4.46 $4.46

-54.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$2.23 $2.23

-34.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$3.14 $3.14

-56.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$2.38 $2.38

-55.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$2.37 $2.37

-78.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$11.68 $11.68

-63.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$14.77 $14.77

25.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$2.43 $2.43

-26.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$4.46 $4.46

-36.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$2.14 $2.14

5.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$2.77 $2.77

8.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.52 $1.52

-30.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$23.84 $23.84

-83.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.10 $1.10

31.82%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$32.5K $32.5K

-18.99%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$26.6K $26.6K

1.40%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$212 $212

-54.56%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$63.0 $63.0

-82.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$64.8 $64.8

-73.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$38.85 $38.85

34.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$15.47 $15.47

-49.52%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$2,268 $2,268

-75.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$41.8K $41.8K

-72.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$48.83 $48.83

31.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$47.01 $47.01

-38.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$105 $105

-8.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$142 $142

-38.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$1,569 $1,569

-53.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$1,312 $1,312

-64.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$2,461 $2,461

-14.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$2,148 $2,148

-44.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$3,099 $3,099

12.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$2,106 $2,106

19.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.62

-15.86%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mount Laurel, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Mount Laurel, NJ

$1.3K 51.6% 184% $850

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Mount Laurel, NJ

$369 14.5% 37.4% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Mount Laurel, NJ

$340 13.4% 173% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Mount Laurel, NJ

$154 6.1% 24.1% $30

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Mount Laurel, NJ

$282 11.1% 132% $160

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Mount Laurel, NJ

$70 2.7% 3% $2

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Mount Laurel, NJ

$19 * 0.7% 52% $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 $1,569 in Mount Laurel, NJ. 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 $81.0 in Mount Laurel, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $369 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Mount Laurel, NJ

🕒 Local time

10:08 10:08 AM

23:08 11:08 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

40,326

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Mount Laurel, NJ 14,650 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mount Laurel, NJ

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 Mount Laurel, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mount Laurel, NJ is pricier by about 111%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $3,819 in Mount Laurel, NJ. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,208 in Phuket and $2,546 in Mount Laurel, NJ. That's a gap of about 111%.

Kindergarten costs $556 per month in Phuket and $2,268 in Mount Laurel, NJ. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Mount Laurel, NJ at $2,546. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mount Laurel, NJ 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.

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, Mount Laurel, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.