Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and New Smyrna Beach, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,721 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
New Smyrna Beach, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,721
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in New Smyrna Beach, FL

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 New Smyrna Beach, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $2,721 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,207
  • New Smyrna Beach, FL $2,721

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $3,907 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,037
  • New Smyrna Beach, FL $3,907

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $5,093 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,867
  • New Smyrna Beach, FL $5,093

Phuket is about 56% cheaper than New Smyrna Beach, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while New Smyrna Beach, FL is 102% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
New Smyrna Beach, FL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58 ฿153
$19.75 $19.75
-76.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.48 ฿1,086
$81.4 $81.4
-60.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 ฿286
$11.35 $11.35
-24.67%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.0
$6.14 $6.14
-55.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 ฿31.25
$3.15 $3.15
-70.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.39
$2.27 $2.27
-78.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 ฿86.6
$6.89 $6.89
-62.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$6.97 $6.97
-45.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
New Smyrna Beach, FL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$1.05 $1.05
65.71%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ฿47.82
$3.28 $3.28
-56.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.0
$2.41 $2.41
-36.51%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$4.30 $4.30
-49.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.15 ฿640
$11.79 $11.79
62.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿110
$9.63 $9.63
-65.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ฿372
$15.90 $15.90
-29.94%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 ฿98.5
$5.76 $5.76
-48.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 ฿56.1
$1.48 $1.48
13.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ฿76.8
$4.17 $4.17
-44.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 ฿71.3
$4.55 $4.55
-53.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.1
$2.45 $2.45
-37.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 ฿45.55
$2.95 $2.95
-53.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ฿37.44
$1.54 $1.54
-27.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.24
$1.80 $1.80
-69.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$8.34 $8.34
-48.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.19 ฿608
$13.28 $13.28
36.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.2
$2.14 $2.14
-18.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 ฿93.3
$2.90 $2.90
-3.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
New Smyrna Beach, FL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.22 ฿74.1
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.06 ฿737
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 ฿97.3
$1.53 $1.53
90.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ฿33.79
$1.16 $1.16
-12.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.83 ฿128
$13.89 $13.89
-72.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.85
$0.95 $0.95
56.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K ฿891.6K
$26.9K $26.9K
-0.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿892.7K
$25.9K $25.9K
3.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
New Smyrna Beach, FL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.4 ฿3,321
$191 $191
-47.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ฿377
$63.3 $63.3
-82.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.36 ฿580
$69.7 $69.7
-75.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
New Smyrna Beach, FL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ฿1,747
$25.14 $25.14
108.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 ฿253
$13.43 $13.43
-43.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
New Smyrna Beach, FL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$558 ฿18.7K
$619 $619
-9.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K ฿383.9K
$12.2K $12.2K
-5.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
New Smyrna Beach, FL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.9 ฿2,102
$52.9 $52.9
18.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.58 ฿955
$48.00 $48.00
-40.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.1 ฿3,213
$86.6 $86.6
10.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.1 ฿2,943
$115 $115
-23.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
New Smyrna Beach, FL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 ฿24.4K
$1,672 $1,672
-56.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$460 ฿15.4K
$1,503 $1,503
-69.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,096 ฿70.0K
$2,476 $2,476
-15.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 ฿40.8K
$2,363 $2,363
-48.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,459 ฿115.6K
$2,639 $2,639
31.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,489 ฿83.2K
$2,334 $2,334
6.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
New Smyrna Beach, FL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$493 ฿16.5K
$7,382 $7,382
-93.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.69
-16.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for New Smyrna Beach, FL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$460
New Smyrna Beach, FL
$1.5K 227% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$268
New Smyrna Beach, FL
$363 35.5% $95
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$128
New Smyrna Beach, FL
$324 153% $196
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
New Smyrna Beach, FL
$136 9.7% $12
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
New Smyrna Beach, FL
$336 177% $215
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$67
New Smyrna Beach, FL
$52 22.9% $15
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
New Smyrna Beach, FL
$7.4 * 81.1% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $1,672 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1397% higher in New Smyrna Beach, FL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $81.0 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $363 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇺🇸 New Smyrna Beach, FL
🕒 Local time
10:58 10:58 AM
23:58 11:58 PM
11 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
30,142
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket New Smyrna Beach, FL 15,910 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • New Smyrna Beach, FL

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 New Smyrna Beach, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in New Smyrna Beach, FL compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,207 in Phuket, $2,721 in New Smyrna Beach, FL – roughly 125% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to New Smyrna Beach, FL?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $4,081 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and New Smyrna Beach, FL?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $81.0 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 36% more in New Smyrna Beach, FL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in New Smyrna Beach, FL at $2,721. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Smyrna Beach, FL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and New Smyrna Beach, FL?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,207 in Phuket to $2,721 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Phuket or New Smyrna Beach, FL safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Phuket and New Smyrna Beach, FL?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New Smyrna Beach, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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