Cost of Living Comparison Between Haikou and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Haikou and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $771 in Haikou versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,184 in Haikou versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,598 in Haikou versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Haikou costs roughly 37% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Haikou 42% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.44 ¥16.72

$4.63 ฿151

-47.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.48 ¥168

$46.84 ฿1,532

-47.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥35.02

$8.84 ฿289

-42.19%

Cappuccino

$2.91 ¥19.90

$3.00 ฿98.0

-3.00%

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

$0.45 ¥3.08

$0.74 ฿24.25

-39.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.27

$0.37 ฿11.95

-10.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.38 ¥9.43

$2.44 ฿79.8

-43.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 ¥24.83

$3.61 ฿118

0.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.58

$2.26 ฿73.9

-18.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 ¥9.45

$1.84 ฿60.1

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.82

$2.24 ฿73.4

-62.05%

Eggs

$1.94 ¥13.27

$2.32 ฿75.7

-16.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 ¥86.5

$19.67 ฿643

-35.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 ¥38.55

$3.65 ฿119

54.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.12 ¥104

$13.10 ฿428

15.42%

Apples (1kg)

$0.82 ¥5.60

$3.39 ฿111

-75.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ¥6.00

$1.64 ฿53.7

-46.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.41 ¥2.80

$2.41 ฿79.0

-82.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.47

$2.03 ฿66.4

-53.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.20

$1.56 ฿50.9

-51.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.65

$1.50 ฿48.94

-54.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.27 ¥1.84

$1.02 ฿33.50

-73.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ¥3.35

$0.49 ฿16.00

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ¥19.93

$4.45 ฿145

-34.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.06 ¥68.9

$18.88 ฿617

-46.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥5.10

$1.78 ฿58.1

-58.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.25

$2.75 ฿90.1

-40.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.84

$1.40 ฿45.81

-80.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.47 ¥113

$11.48 ฿376

43.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 ¥19.40

$3.12 ฿102

-9.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.41

$1.00 ฿32.67

-65.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ¥45.29

$14.09 ฿461

-53.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥7.90

$1.35 ฿44.19

-14.81%

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

$20.7K ¥141.8K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-23.87%

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

$16.3K ¥112.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-50.35%

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

$34.36 ¥235

$125 ฿4,087

-72.51%

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

$13.95 ¥95.5

$13.57 ฿444

2.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.20 ¥56.2

$18.52 ฿606

-55.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.30 ¥221

$61.5 ฿2,010

-47.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.99 ¥41.01

$16.84 ฿551

-64.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 ¥37.29

$9.19 ฿300

-40.81%

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

$329 ¥2,252

$698 ฿22.8K

-52.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥192.3K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

80.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.84 ¥287

$57.8 ฿1,889

-27.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.81 ¥286

$35.24 ฿1,152

18.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.15 ¥289

$113 ฿3,699

-62.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.97 ¥240

$86.4 ฿2,825

-59.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 ¥2,428

$616 ฿20.1K

-42.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,918

$446 ฿14.6K

-37.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 ¥3,723

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-73.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 ¥3,220

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-68.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,174 ¥21.7K

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-16.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,113 ¥14.5K

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-20.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$694 ¥4,752

$524 ฿17.1K

32.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

5.33

-9.01%

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

Last update for Haikou: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $354 in Haikou and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Haikou pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Haikou vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $292 per month, with Haikou 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

Haikou vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haikou and Phuket differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($771 vs $1,232 including rent). Haikou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Haikou pays 32% 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: $354 in Haikou versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $771 per month in Haikou versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Haikou runs roughly 43% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $771 in Haikou versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Haikou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Haikou 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, Haikou 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 Haikou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.