Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ha Long and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Ha Long: $779 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Ha Long
Learn more

Ha Long Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Ha Long

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$779

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $779 per month in Ha Long vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Ha Long $779
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,242 per month in Ha Long vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Ha Long $1,242
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $1,705 per month in Ha Long vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Ha Long $1,705
Phuket $3,154

Ha Long is about 39% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ha Long and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Ha Long 43% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.99 ₫51.3K

$4.47 ฿151

-55.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.06 ₫491.8K

$32.41 ฿1,093

-41.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 ₫113.5K

$8.81 ฿297

-50.06%

Cappuccino

$1.71 ₫44.2K

$2.83 ฿95.4

-39.58%

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

$0.52 ₫13.3K

$0.87 ฿29.40

-40.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₫7,865

$0.49 ฿16.65

-38.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ₫22.3K

$2.56 ฿86.3

-66.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ₫38.6K

$3.68 ฿124

-59.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ₫38.6K

$1.66 ฿55.9

-9.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₫27.6K

$1.46 ฿49.29

-26.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.6K

$1.50 ฿50.5

-31.33%

Eggs

$1.55 ₫40.0K

$2.09 ฿70.5

-25.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.02 ₫310.2K

$19.07 ฿643

-36.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 ₫95.8K

$3.30 ฿111

12.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 ₫253.8K

$10.91 ฿368

-9.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 ₫78.3K

$2.93 ฿98.8

3.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.69 ฿57.0

-37.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$2.25 ฿75.7

-41.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.7K

$2.08 ฿70.0

-40.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.6K

$1.51 ฿51.0

-34.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$1.38 ฿46.51

-21.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₫15.9K

$1.07 ฿35.95

-42.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.52 ฿17.50

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.39 ₫35.8K

$4.20 ฿142

-66.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.37 ₫293.3K

$18.79 ฿634

-39.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₫23.0K

$1.82 ฿61.4

-51.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₫43.2K

$2.84 ฿95.8

-41.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₫8,864

$1.45 ฿48.97

-76.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.42 ₫165.6K

$56.7 ฿1,911

-88.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$3.02 ฿102

-75.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₫15.6K

$1.02 ฿34.32

-41.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 ₫65.4K

$3.69 ฿124

-31.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$1.47 ฿49.75

-36.73%

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

$30.3K ₫781.2M

$26.8K ฿903.2K

13.07%

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

$28.2K ₫728.5M

$26.7K ฿900.3K

5.78%

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

$77.0 ₫2.0M

$96.4 ฿3,250

-20.07%

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

$5.70 ₫147.0K

$11.26 ฿380

-49.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.93 ₫230.4K

$16.85 ฿568

-47.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.86 ₫589.7K

$67.2 ฿2,268

-66.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.58 ₫195.5K

$10.73 ฿362

-29.36%

Cinema Ticket

$3.31 ₫85.4K

$7.50 ฿253

-55.87%

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

$185 ₫4.8M

$476 ฿16.1K

-61.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K ₫351.2M

$11.3K ฿379.9K

20.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.16 ₫1.2M

$62.4 ฿2,103

-25.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.56 ₫685.3K

$28.41 ฿958

-6.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 ₫2.1M

$94.3 ฿3,180

-12.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.3 ₫2.0M

$85.8 ฿2,894

-7.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 ₫10.6M

$716 ฿24.1K

-42.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 ₫7.3M

$491 ฿16.6K

-42.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₫21.1M

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-57.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₫15.9M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-57.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,231 ₫57.6M

$4,175 ฿140.8K

-46.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,200 ₫31.0M

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-60.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$231 ₫6.0M

$502 ฿16.9K

-54.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

5.57

48.65%

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

Last update for Ha Long: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ha Long

$283 36.3%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 73.5% $208

Groceries & Markets

Ha Long

$198 25.4%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 34.6% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Ha Long

$106 13.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 15.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ha Long

$92 11.8%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 35.8% $33

Eating Out

Ha Long

$60 7.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 102% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Ha Long

$29 3.8%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 179% $53

Getting Around

Ha Long

$12 1.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 511% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $409 in Ha Long versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Phuket are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Ha Long versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $266 – making Ha Long the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ha Long

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

Same time as Ha Long

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

270,054

79,308

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 25,802 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,920 VND (100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ha Long Phuket 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ha Long
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

Ha Long vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $779 in Ha Long, $1,278 in Phuket – Ha Long comes out roughly 39% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,169 per month in Ha Long and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ha Long, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $409 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Ha Long and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Ha Long, where all-in costs run around $779, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Ha Long it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ha Long – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Ha Long. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.