Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Noord

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,559 in Noord, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 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

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Noord

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,559

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Noord

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,559 in Noord, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Noord $2,559

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $4,101 in Noord, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Noord $4,101

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $5,644 in Noord, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Noord $5,644

Phuket is about 50% cheaper than Noord, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Noord is 88% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$25.43 AWG 45.50

-82.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$96.3 AWG 172

-66.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$15.14 AWG 27.09

-41.81%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.98 AWG 5.34

-5.03%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.45 AWG 4.39

-64.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.71 AWG 3.06

-71.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$7.60 AWG 13.59

-66.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$8.41 AWG 15.05

-56.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.91 AWG 3.42

-13.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$2.93 AWG 5.24

-50.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.80 AWG 5.01

-46.43%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$6.28 AWG 11.24

-66.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$12.60 AWG 22.55

51.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$9.38 AWG 16.79

-64.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$12.10 AWG 21.66

-9.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$4.64 AWG 8.31

-36.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.29 AWG 4.10

-26.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.93 AWG 8.82

-54.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$3.45 AWG 6.17

-39.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.22 AWG 3.97

-31.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.99 AWG 3.55

-30.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$2.67 AWG 4.78

-59.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.51 AWG 2.70

-65.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$10.11 AWG 18.10

-58.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$9.97 AWG 17.84

88.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$5.76 AWG 10.31

-68.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$4.50 AWG 8.05

-36.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$2.87 AWG 5.13

-48.78%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$198 AWG 354

-51.25%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$69.3 AWG 124

-83.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$99.1 AWG 177

-82.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,473 AWG 2,636

-51.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,460 AWG 2,612

-66.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$3,136 AWG 5,611

-38.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$3,146 AWG 5,630

-54.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Noord: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Noord

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Noord

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Noord

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Noord

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Noord

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Noord

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Noord

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,473 in Noord. 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 in Phuket versus $96 in Noord. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $377 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇼 Noord

🕒 Local time

11:45 11:45 AM

00:45 12:45 AM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

24,193

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2 AWG (1 AWG = 0.5 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Noord 17,410 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Noord

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 Noord: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Noord costs about 100% 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 $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,838 in Noord. 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 $1,473 in Noord.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $2,559 in Noord. That makes Phuket about 50% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Noord, 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 Noord at $2,559. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Noord it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $2,559 in Noord. 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.