Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Salem, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $3,511 in Salem, MA, rent and utilities included – about $27,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Salem, MA
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Salem, MA Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Salem, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Salem, MA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $3,511 in Salem, MA.

Phuket $1,208
Salem, MA $3,511

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $4,880 in Salem, MA.

Phuket $2,027
Salem, MA $4,880

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $6,248 in Salem, MA.

Phuket $2,845
Salem, MA $6,248

Living in Phuket costs roughly 66% less than in Salem, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Salem, MA is 159% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$24.63 $24.63

-82.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$98.2 $98.2

-67.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$11.20 $11.20

-21.79%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$5.04 $5.04

-43.85%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$2.46 $2.46

-63.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$2.16 $2.16

-78.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$8.13 $8.13

-68.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$7.19 $7.19

-46.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.26 $1.26

37.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$3.55 $3.55

-58.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$4.43 $4.43

-65.91%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$4.32 $4.32

-49.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$12.22 $12.22

61.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$11.72 $11.72

-71.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$17.43 $17.43

-35.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$4.61 $4.61

-38.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.56 $1.56

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$4.20 $4.20

-47.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$4.74 $4.74

-56.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$2.81 $2.81

-48.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$2.90 $2.90

-52.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$2.55 $2.55

-58.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$2.23 $2.23

-77.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$11.02 $11.02

-61.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$15.29 $15.29

21.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.79 $1.79

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$3.42 $3.42

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.89 $1.89

19.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$40.09 $40.09

-44.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$3.00 $3.00

0.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.54 $1.54

-31.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$31.85 $31.85

-87.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.89 $0.89

62.92%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.72%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$26.9K $26.9K

0.34%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$179 $179

-46.10%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$59.4 $59.4

-81.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$63.8 $63.8

-73.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$42.17 $42.17

23.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$14.49 $14.49

-46.10%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$1,266 $1,266

-56.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$23.7K $23.7K

-51.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$84.2 $84.2

-23.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$56.8 $56.8

-49.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$97.7 $97.7

-2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$98.1 $98.1

-10.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$2,339 $2,339

-68.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$2,162 $2,162

-78.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$3,928 $3,928

-46.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$3,135 $3,135

-61.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,748 $2,748

26.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$2,332 $2,332

8.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$9,532 $9,532

-94.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.57

-15.22%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Salem, MA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Salem, MA

$2.2K 61.6% 368% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Salem, MA

$401 11.4% 49.3% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Salem, MA

$302 8.6% 142% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Salem, MA

$152 4.3% 21.9% $27

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Salem, MA

$365 10.4% 201% $243

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Salem, MA

$71 2% 5% $3.4

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Salem, MA

$58 1.7% 48% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $2,339 in Salem, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salem, MA pays 1804% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $98.0 in Salem, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $401 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Salem, MA

🕒 Local time

02:13 2:13 AM

15:13 3:13 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

155,469

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Salem, MA 14,310 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Salem, MA

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 Salem, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 191% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1804% lower in Salem, MA. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $2,339 in Salem, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $1,266 in Salem, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Salem, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $3,511 in Salem, MA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Salem, MA. 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 Salem, MA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Salem, MA 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 191% less than in Salem, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.