Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dong Hoi and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Dong Hoi: $755 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Dong Hoi
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Dong Hoi Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Dong Hoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$755

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dong Hoi 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 Dong Hoi and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $755 in Dong Hoi versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Dong Hoi $755
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,222 in Dong Hoi versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Dong Hoi $1,222
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,689 in Dong Hoi versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Dong Hoi $1,689
Phuket $3,154

Living in Dong Hoi costs roughly 41% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dong Hoi 45% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 ₫50.5K

$4.47 ฿151

-56.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.05 ₫492.2K

$32.41 ฿1,094

-41.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.60 ₫93.0K

$8.81 ฿297

-59.14%

Cappuccino

$1.07 ₫27.5K

$2.83 ฿95.5

-62.19%

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

$0.34 ₫8,854

$0.87 ฿29.43

-60.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₫8,106

$0.49 ฿16.67

-36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$2.56 ฿86.4

-78.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₫59.0K

$3.68 ฿124

-38.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ₫39.8K

$1.66 ฿56.0

-7.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ₫21.9K

$1.46 ฿49.35

-41.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$1.50 ฿50.6

-30.67%

Eggs

$1.55 ₫40.1K

$2.09 ฿70.5

-25.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 ₫335.7K

$19.07 ฿644

-31.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ₫84.9K

$3.30 ฿111

-0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.10 ₫235.0K

$10.91 ฿368

-16.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 ₫69.6K

$2.93 ฿99.0

-8.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$1.69 ฿57.1

-29.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 ₫34.2K

$2.25 ฿75.8

-41.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ₫41.0K

$2.08 ฿70.1

-23.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.4K

$1.51 ฿51.0

-21.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ₫34.1K

$1.38 ฿46.56

-4.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₫26.0K

$1.07 ฿35.99

-5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₫12.8K

$0.52 ฿17.52

-3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.55 ₫40.1K

$4.20 ฿142

-63.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 ₫199.1K

$18.79 ฿634

-58.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₫22.4K

$1.82 ฿61.5

-52.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₫56.2K

$2.84 ฿95.9

-23.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₫8,784

$1.45 ฿49.03

-76.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.74 ₫174.1K

$56.7 ฿1,913

-88.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 ₫28.1K

$3.02 ฿102

-63.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₫15.6K

$1.02 ฿34.36

-41.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 ₫63.9K

$3.69 ฿125

-32.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$1.47 ฿49.81

-36.73%

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

$31.0K ₫801.0M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

15.80%

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

$27.5K ₫711.3M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

3.17%

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

$66.8 ₫1.7M

$96.4 ฿3,254

-30.65%

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

$6.38 ₫164.7K

$11.26 ฿380

-43.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.17 ₫211.1K

$16.85 ฿569

-51.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.75 ₫587.8K

$67.2 ฿2,270

-66.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.57 ₫195.7K

$10.73 ฿362

-29.45%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 ₫88.6K

$7.50 ฿253

-54.27%

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

$160 ₫4.1M

$476 ฿16.1K

-66.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ₫379.8M

$11.3K ฿380.4K

30.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.77 ₫1.2M

$62.4 ฿2,106

-26.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.88 ₫720.2K

$28.41 ฿959

-1.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₫2.7M

$94.3 ฿3,184

8.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.1 ₫2.1M

$85.8 ฿2,898

-4.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 ₫10.5M

$716 ฿24.2K

-43.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 ₫7.1M

$491 ฿16.6K

-44.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₫20.6M

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-58.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₫15.9M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-57.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,265 ₫58.5M

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-45.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,220 ₫31.5M

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-59.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$398 ₫10.3M

$502 ฿17.0K

-20.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

25.67%

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

Last update for Dong Hoi: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dong Hoi

$275 36.4%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 78.7% $216

Groceries & Markets

Dong Hoi

$191 25.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 39.3% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Dong Hoi

$116 15.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 4.8% $5.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dong Hoi

$81 10.8%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 53% $43

Eating Out

Dong Hoi

$49 6.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 147% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Dong Hoi

$30 3.9%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 178% $53

Getting Around

Dong Hoi

$12 1.6%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 479% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Dong Hoi and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 26% 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: $19 in Dong Hoi vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $266 per month, with Dong Hoi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Dong Hoi

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:13 5:13 AM

Same time as Dong Hoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,601

79,308

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,757 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dong Hoi Phuket 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dong Hoi
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

Dong Hoi vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $755 in Dong Hoi and $1,278 in Phuket, so Dong Hoi is about 41% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Dong Hoi. 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: $408 in Dong Hoi versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $755 per month in Dong Hoi versus $1,278 in Phuket – Dong Hoi is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Dong Hoi runs roughly 88% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $755 in Dong Hoi versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Dong Hoi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Dong Hoi 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, Dong Hoi and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Dong Hoi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.