Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hai Phong and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Hai Phong: $699 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Hai Phong
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$699
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $699 in Hai Phong versus $1,207 in Phuket.

  • Hai Phong $699
  • Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,182 in Hai Phong versus $2,037 in Phuket.

  • Hai Phong $1,182
  • Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,666 in Hai Phong versus $2,867 in Phuket.

  • Hai Phong $1,666
  • Phuket $2,867

Living in Hai Phong costs roughly 42% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hai Phong 48% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hai Phong
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.50 ₫38.9K
$4.58 ฿153
-67.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.34 ₫500.6K
$32.48 ฿1,086
-40.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.12 ₫106.7K
$8.55 ฿286
-51.81%
Cappuccino
$1.84 ₫47.5K
$2.72 ฿91.0
-32.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 ₫13.2K
$0.94 ฿31.25
-45.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32 ₫8,333
$0.49 ฿16.39
-34.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.74 ₫19.1K
$2.59 ฿86.6
-71.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 ₫40.6K
$3.83 ฿128
-59.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hai Phong
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 ₫39.4K
$1.74 ฿58.1
-12.64%
White Bread (500g)
$0.51 ₫13.3K
$1.43 ฿47.82
-64.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.75 ₫19.3K
$1.53 ฿51.0
-50.98%
Eggs
$1.50 ₫38.9K
$2.17 ฿72.7
-30.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.47 ₫271.1K
$19.15 ฿640
-45.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.70 ₫95.7K
$3.30 ฿110
12.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.12 ₫262.1K
$11.14 ฿372
-9.16%
Apples (1kg)
$3.40 ₫88.0K
$2.95 ฿98.5
15.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 ₫27.8K
$1.68 ฿56.1
-36.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.33 ₫34.3K
$2.30 ฿76.8
-42.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.15 ₫29.9K
$2.13 ฿71.3
-46.01%
Potato (1kg)
$1.00 ₫25.9K
$1.53 ฿51.1
-34.64%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 ₫29.1K
$1.36 ฿45.55
-17.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.59 ₫15.2K
$1.12 ฿37.44
-47.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₫14.5K
$0.55 ฿18.24
1.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.18 ₫30.4K
$4.26 ฿142
-72.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.71 ₫329.0K
$18.19 ฿608
-30.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.75 ₫19.5K
$1.74 ฿58.2
-56.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 ₫41.7K
$2.79 ฿93.3
-42.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Hai Phong
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.39 ₫10.1K
$2.22 ฿74.1
-82.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$5.75 ₫148.8K
$22.06 ฿737
-73.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.81 ₫20.9K
$2.91 ฿97.3
-72.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 ₫15.5K
$1.01 ฿33.79
-40.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.88 ₫48.6K
$3.83 ฿128
-50.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.87 ₫22.6K
$1.49 ฿49.85
-41.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K ₫800.0M
$26.7K ฿891.6K
15.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.1K ₫778.1M
$26.7K ฿892.7K
12.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hai Phong
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$44.74 ₫1.2M
$99.4 ฿3,321
-54.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.11 ₫132.3K
$11.28 ฿377
-54.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.04 ₫234.1K
$17.36 ฿580
-47.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hai Phong
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.76 ₫589.1K
$52.3 ฿1,747
-56.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.91 ₫204.8K
$10.85 ฿362
-27.10%
Cinema Ticket
$4.23 ₫109.5K
$7.57 ฿253
-44.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hai Phong
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$151 ₫3.9M
$558 ฿18.7K
-72.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,624 ₫119.7M
$11.5K ฿383.9K
-59.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hai Phong
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.19 ₫1.2M
$62.9 ฿2,102
-24.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.00 ₫543.7K
$28.58 ฿955
-26.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.4 ₫2.2M
$96.1 ฿3,213
-11.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.0 ₫2.0M
$88.1 ฿2,943
-12.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hai Phong
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$247 ₫6.4M
$729 ฿24.4K
-66.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$246 ₫6.4M
$460 ฿15.4K
-46.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,026 ₫26.6M
$2,096 ฿70.0K
-51.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$632 ₫16.4M
$1,222 ฿40.8K
-48.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,340 ₫34.7M
$3,459 ฿115.6K
-61.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$948 ₫24.6M
$2,489 ฿83.2K
-61.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hai Phong
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ₫13.0M
$493 ฿16.5K
1.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7
5.57
25.67%

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

Last update for Hai Phong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hai Phong
$246
Phuket
$460 86.7% $214
Groceries & Markets
Hai Phong
$191
Phuket
$268 40.2% $77
Clothing & Footwear
Hai Phong
$104
Phuket
$124 19.6% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hai Phong
$59
Phuket
$128 117% $69
Eating Out
Hai Phong
$57
Phuket
$121 114% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Hai Phong
$31
Phuket
$67 116% $36
Getting Around
Hai Phong
$11
Phuket
$39 250% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $247 in Hai Phong and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hai Phong pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Hai Phong vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $268 per month, with Hai Phong cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇻🇳 Hai Phong
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
20:31 8:31 PM
20:31 8:31 PM
Same time as Hai Phong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,105,000
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hai Phong Phuket 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hai Phong
  • 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
Hai Phong vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Hai Phong and in Phuket?
Hai Phong and Phuket differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($699 vs $1,207 including rent). Hai Phong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Hai Phong or Phuket?
Average pay runs 2% higher in Hai Phong, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Hai Phong and in Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $247 in Hai Phong versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Hai Phong or Phuket?
All in, you'll spend $699 per month in Hai Phong versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Hai Phong and in Phuket?
A monthly transit pass in Hai Phong runs roughly 284% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $699 in Hai Phong versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hai Phong but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Hai Phong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Hai Phong and Phuket?
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.
Is Hai Phong or Phuket safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Hai Phong 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.
Where should expats move: Hai Phong or Phuket?
Expats usually find Hai Phong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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