ðMonthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,621 in Perth Amboy, NJ.
ðEstimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $3,872 in Perth Amboy, NJ.
ðMonthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $5,123 in Perth Amboy, NJ.
ðLiving in Phuket costs roughly 53% less than in Perth Amboy, NJ, driven mainly by Eating Out.
ðThe two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Perth Amboy, NJ is 96% above.
Currency
ð― Eating Out
Phuket
Perth Amboy, NJ
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63āļŋ151
$20.26$20.26
-77.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84āļŋ1,532
$79.4$79.4
-41.01%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.84āļŋ289
$15.20$15.20
-41.84%
Cappuccino
$3.00āļŋ98.0
$5.15$5.15
-41.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74āļŋ24.25
$2.57$2.57
-71.21%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37āļŋ11.95
$1.97$1.97
-81.22%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.44āļŋ79.8
$8.01$8.01
-69.54%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61āļŋ118
$7.93$7.93
-54.48%
ð Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Perth Amboy, NJ
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.26āļŋ73.9
$1.09$1.09
107.34%
White Bread(500g)
$1.84āļŋ60.1
$2.18$2.18
-15.60%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24āļŋ73.4
$9.33$9.33
-75.99%
Eggs
$2.32āļŋ75.7
$3.00$3.00
-22.67%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.67āļŋ643
$12.32$12.32
59.66%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65āļŋ119
$11.53$11.53
-68.34%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.10āļŋ428
$22.46$22.46
-41.67%
Apples(1kg)
$3.39āļŋ111
$7.22$7.22
-53.05%
Banana(1kg)
$1.64āļŋ53.7
$2.59$2.59
-36.68%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41āļŋ79.0
$5.44$5.44
-55.70%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.03āļŋ66.4
$6.12$6.12
-66.83%
Potato(1kg)
$1.56āļŋ50.9
$1.40$1.40
11.43%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50āļŋ48.94
$1.40$1.40
7.14%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.02āļŋ33.50
$1.46$1.46
-30.14%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49āļŋ16.00
$3.05$3.05
-83.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45āļŋ145
$10.98$10.98
-59.47%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.88āļŋ617
$12.14$12.14
55.52%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78āļŋ58.1
$1.70$1.70
4.71%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75āļŋ90.1
$6.38$6.38
-56.90%
ð Getting Around
Phuket
Perth Amboy, NJ
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.40āļŋ45.81
$2.04$2.04
-31.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.48āļŋ376
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.12āļŋ102
$6.17$6.17
-49.43%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.00āļŋ32.67
$1.63$1.63
-38.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.09āļŋ461
$42.40$42.40
-66.77%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.35āļŋ44.19
$0.82$0.82
64.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2Kāļŋ888.9K
$30.1K$30.1K
-9.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9Kāļŋ1.1M
$27.1K$27.1K
21.65%
ð§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Perth Amboy, NJ
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$125āļŋ4,087
$180$180
-30.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57āļŋ444
$23.85$23.85
-43.10%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52āļŋ606
$56.3$56.3
-67.09%
ð Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Perth Amboy, NJ
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.5āļŋ2,010
$43.19$43.19
42.35%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84āļŋ551
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.19āļŋ300
$14.77$14.77
-37.78%
ð§ļ Childcare & Education
Phuket
Perth Amboy, NJ
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$698āļŋ22.8K
$1,873$1,873
-62.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.6Kāļŋ509.9K
$40.4K$40.4K
-61.40%
ðð Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Perth Amboy, NJ
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8āļŋ1,889
$33.49$33.49
72.47%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24āļŋ1,152
$54.9$54.9
-35.80%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$113āļŋ3,699
$74.7$74.7
51.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4āļŋ2,825
$94.4$94.4
-8.49%
ð Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Perth Amboy, NJ
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$616āļŋ20.1K
$1,603$1,603
-61.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$446āļŋ14.6K
$1,327$1,327
-66.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,048āļŋ67.0K
$2,634$2,634
-22.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,492āļŋ48.8K
$2,217$2,217
-32.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,779āļŋ123.6K
$2,957$2,957
27.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,649āļŋ86.6K
$2,387$2,387
10.98%
ðĩ Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Perth Amboy, NJ
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$524āļŋ17.1K
$3,410$3,410
-84.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
6.55
-18.63%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input â minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026
Last update for Perth Amboy, NJ: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
ð A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $1,603 in Perth Amboy, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
ð°Perth Amboy, NJ pays 551% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.
ðDining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $79.0 in Perth Amboy, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $443 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.
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 Perth Amboy, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Perth Amboy, NJ?
Phuket wins on cost â living expenses run 113% lower than in Perth Amboy, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Phuket or Perth Amboy, NJ?
On paper, Perth Amboy, NJ earns 551% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket vs Perth Amboy, NJ?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $1,603 in Perth Amboy, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Phuket and Perth Amboy, NJ?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $1,873 in Perth Amboy, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Phuket vs Perth Amboy, NJ?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket â a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $79.0 in Perth Amboy, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or Perth Amboy, NJ?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,621 in Perth Amboy, NJ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Perth Amboy, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Phuket or Perth Amboy, NJ?
Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value â similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.
How safe is Phuket compared to Perth Amboy, NJ?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Perth Amboy, NJ are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet â expenses run 113% less than in Perth Amboy, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.