Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between York, ME and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,753 in York, ME, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in York, ME
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York, ME Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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York, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,753

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in York, ME and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in York, ME and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,753 in York, ME versus $1,294 in Phuket.

York, ME $2,753
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,942 in York, ME versus $2,204 in Phuket.

York, ME $3,942
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,132 in York, ME versus $3,115 in Phuket.

York, ME $5,132
Phuket $3,115

Living in York, ME is roughly 113% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: York, ME is 104% above, Phuket is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 $16.19

$4.39 ฿147

268.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.72 $49.72

$32.31 ฿1,078

53.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.98 $14.98

$8.70 ฿290

72.18%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$2.72 ฿90.9

104.78%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$0.93 ฿31.06

203.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$0.50 ฿16.67

462.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.53 ฿84.5

103.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 $7.80

$3.63 ฿121

114.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.74 ฿58.1

-37.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.45 ฿48.42

170.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$1.50 ฿50.1

260.00%

Eggs

$1.65 $1.65

$2.17 ฿72.5

-23.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.34 $11.34

$19.09 ฿637

-40.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.44 $14.44

$3.40 ฿113

324.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.33 $17.33

$10.90 ฿364

58.99%

Apples (1kg)

$6.63 $6.63

$2.94 ฿98.2

125.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.69 ฿56.5

2.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$2.19 ฿73.2

197.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.12 ฿70.9

160.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.46 ฿48.68

93.15%

Onion (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$1.37 ฿45.66

226.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.08 ฿35.91

110.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.55 ฿18.21

78.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.49 $13.49

$4.43 ฿148

204.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 $13.94

$18.25 ฿609

-23.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.77 ฿59.2

18.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.88 ฿96.2

31.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.45 ฿48.32

28.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.4 $56.4

$54.9 ฿1,832

2.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.51 ฿50.5

160.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.55 $2.55

$0.78 ฿25.90

226.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.73 $40.73

$3.84 ฿128

960.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.49 ฿49.65

-27.52%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$26.9K ฿897.3K

1.71%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.3K ฿879.4K

-0.15%

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

$317 $317

$97.8 ฿3,265

224.45%

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

$103 $103

$11.29 ฿377

813.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.6 $83.6

$17.19 ฿574

386.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.71 $38.71

$68.3 ฿2,281

-43.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

Cinema Ticket

$14.65 $14.65

$7.43 ฿248

97.17%

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

$1,845 $1,845

$530 ฿17.7K

247.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.6K $43.6K

$18.8K ฿626.9K

132.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 $56.4

$61.7 ฿2,059

-8.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.97 $38.97

$28.25 ฿943

37.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 $78.4

$96.0 ฿3,204

-18.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 $98.4

$86.8 ฿2,898

13.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 $1,785

$721 ฿24.1K

147.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 $1,255

$509 ฿17.0K

146.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,385 $2,385

$1,950 ฿65.1K

22.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,131 $2,131

$1,397 ฿46.6K

52.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,003 $3,003

$4,192 ฿139.9K

-28.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,262 $2,262

$3,298 ฿110.1K

-31.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

5.57

19.21%

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

Last update for York, ME: November 3, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

York, ME

$1.3K 45.6%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 59.4% $746

Monthly Utilities & Internet

York, ME

$504 18.3%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 74.9% $378

Groceries & Markets

York, ME

$418 15.2%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 36.1% $151

Eating Out

York, ME

$305 11.1%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 60.8% $186

Clothing & Footwear

York, ME

$122 4.5%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 0.2% $0.3

Getting Around

York, ME

$81 2.9%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 18% $14

Sport & Entertainment

York, ME

$68 2.5%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 22.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,785 in York, ME and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50 in York, ME vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $418 vs $267 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 York, ME

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

16:56 4:56 PM

04:56 4:56 AM

12 h ahead of York, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,800

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

York, ME Phuket 14,230 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

York, ME
Phuket

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

York, ME vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 53% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,129 in York, ME and $1,940 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,785 in York, ME versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,845 in York, ME versus $530 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in York, ME. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,753 in York, ME, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in York, ME. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, York, ME and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in York, ME. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.