Cost of Living Comparison Between Ridgewood, NJ and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ridgewood, NJ and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,676 in Ridgewood, NJ versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,917 in Ridgewood, NJ versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,159 in Ridgewood, NJ versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Ridgewood, NJ is roughly 111% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ridgewood, NJ is 100% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.88 $17.88

$4.66 ฿150

283.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 $79.9

$46.44 ฿1,496

72.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.58 $12.58

$8.68 ฿280

44.93%

Cappuccino

$5.28 $5.28

$2.95 ฿95.0

78.98%

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

$2.84 $2.84

$0.70 ฿22.52

305.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.39 ฿12.70

420.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.41 $6.41

$2.53 ฿81.6

153.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 $6.59

$3.78 ฿122

74.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.22 ฿71.5

-34.23%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$1.80 ฿57.8

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.19 ฿70.4

106.39%

Eggs

$3.55 $3.55

$2.31 ฿74.5

53.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.03 $14.03

$19.34 ฿623

-27.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.18 $7.18

$3.77 ฿121

90.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 $10.93

$13.22 ฿426

-17.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.33 ฿107

45.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.65 ฿53.1

-9.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.29 ฿73.7

56.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$1.99 ฿64.1

169.35%

Potato (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$1.53 ฿49.24

205.88%

Onion (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$1.51 ฿48.77

196.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.03 ฿33.12

166.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.51 ฿16.57

333.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.61 $11.61

$4.41 ฿142

163.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 $15.09

$19.41 ฿625

-22.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.80 ฿58.0

42.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 $3.67

$2.68 ฿86.4

36.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.43 ฿46.11

41.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.72 $39.72

$11.70 ฿377

239.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.04 ฿97.9

-2.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.04 ฿33.37

21.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.72 $41.72

$13.68 ฿441

204.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.30 ฿41.85

-30.77%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-8.64%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-25.27%

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

$159 $159

$123 ฿3,962

29.06%

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

$60.7 $60.7

$13.82 ฿445

339.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.3 $67.3

$18.86 ฿608

257.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 $57.4

$61.2 ฿1,970

-6.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.03 $40.03

$16.81 ฿541

138.13%

Cinema Ticket

$18.83 $18.83

$8.87 ฿286

112.29%

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

$1,893 $1,893

$696 ฿22.4K

171.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K $14.4K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-10.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 $61.5

$59.3 ฿1,910

3.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$34.85 ฿1,123

59.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 $81.1

$113 ฿3,646

-28.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$85.1 ฿2,740

34.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 $1,576

$615 ฿19.8K

156.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 $1,368

$448 ฿14.4K

205.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,277 $4,277

$2,085 ฿67.2K

105.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,193 $2,193

$1,496 ฿48.2K

46.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,576 $2,576

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-31.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,271 $2,271

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-14.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,945 $4,945

$534 ฿17.2K

826.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.33

22.14%

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

Last update for Ridgewood, NJ: April 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,576 in Ridgewood, NJ and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ridgewood, NJ pays 827% 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: $80 in Ridgewood, NJ vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $291 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

Ridgewood, NJ vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 111% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Ridgewood, NJ pays 827% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,576 in Ridgewood, NJ versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,893 in Ridgewood, NJ versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Ridgewood, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,676 in Ridgewood, NJ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ridgewood, NJ. 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 Ridgewood, NJ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ridgewood, NJ and Phuket 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 111% less than in Ridgewood, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.