Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rochester Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rochester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,245 in Rochester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $3,317 in Rochester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $4,390 in Rochester.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 44% less than in Rochester, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 9% below, Rochester is 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$24.56 £18.17

-81.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$98.9 £73.2

-67.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$10.21 £7.55

-12.83%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.3

$4.76 £3.52

-41.18%

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

$0.88 ฿28.96

$3.18 £2.36

-72.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.09

$2.77 £2.05

-82.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.6

$6.20 £4.58

-61.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$5.60 £4.14

-33.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.68 £1.25

6.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.43

$2.10 £1.55

-31.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.73 £1.28

-8.67%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿70.0

$2.96 £2.19

-28.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$4.85 £3.59

310.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$7.42 £5.49

-53.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿373

$11.47 £8.48

-1.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$2.75 £2.03

7.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.94 £1.44

-11.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$2.56 £1.89

-9.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.5

$2.40 £1.77

-13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.37

$2.03 £1.50

-27.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$1.29 £0.95

5.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.15

$1.04 £0.77

5.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.90

$1.71 £1.26

-66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$22.80 £16.87

-81.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$10.79 £7.98

70.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.6

$3.00 £2.22

-37.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$3.25 £2.41

-10.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$3.53 £2.61

-37.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$94.7 £70.1

-75.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.7

$5.08 £3.76

-40.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.34

$2.79 £2.06

-61.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$41.53 £30.72

-90.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.09

$2.13 £1.57

-30.05%

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

$27.1K ฿892.5K

$39.7K £29.3K

-31.58%

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

$27.5K ฿903.2K

$41.2K £30.5K

-33.43%

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

$103 ฿3,382

$194 £143

-46.97%

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

$10.99 ฿362

$17.17 £12.70

-35.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$30.26 £22.38

-42.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,761

$40.99 £30.32

30.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$18.11 £13.40

-58.70%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$506 £374

10.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿390.0K

$31.6K £23.4K

-62.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,108

$67.4 £49.83

-4.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿957

$40.50 £29.96

-28.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,157

$60.4 £44.70

58.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,972

$90.9 £67.3

-0.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$1,378 £1,019

-47.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$1,061 £785

-52.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.8K

$1,824 £1,350

14.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$1,725 £1,276

-29.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.3K

$5,369 £3,972

-33.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.7K

$4,056 £3,001

-38.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$3,352 £2,480

-84.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.12

8.79%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Rochester: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $1,378 in Rochester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rochester pays 566% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $99.0 in Rochester. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $267, with Rochester cheaper for home cooking.

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 Rochester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 566% lower in Rochester. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $1,378 in Rochester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $506 in Rochester. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Rochester pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,245 in Rochester, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rochester. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rochester, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Rochester are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Rochester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.