Cost of Living Comparison Between Hartsville, SC and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Hartsville, SC and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,770 in Hartsville, SC versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,292 in Hartsville, SC versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,814 in Hartsville, SC versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Hartsville, SC is roughly 119% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hartsville, SC is 101% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 $19.87

$4.66 ฿154

326.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$138 $138

$32.22 ฿1,065

327.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$8.68 ฿287

37.67%

Cappuccino

$5.87 $5.87

$2.90 ฿95.8

102.41%

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

$2.89 $2.89

$0.84 ฿27.89

244.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.49 ฿16.16

383.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.45 $6.45

$2.48 ฿82.0

160.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$3.73 ฿123

115.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.89 ฿62.3

-40.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.41 ฿46.54

184.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$1.62 ฿53.6

179.63%

Eggs

$5.31 $5.31

$2.24 ฿74.1

137.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.58 $22.58

$19.84 ฿656

13.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.54 $14.54

$3.48 ฿115

317.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.92 $20.92

$11.37 ฿376

83.99%

Apples (1kg)

$8.30 $8.30

$2.90 ฿95.8

186.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.72 ฿57.0

4.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$2.27 ฿75.1

129.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.85 $6.85

$2.13 ฿70.4

221.60%

Potato (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$1.47 ฿48.72

241.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.42 ฿46.92

168.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.10 ฿36.25

159.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$0.60 ฿19.76

446.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.08 $10.08

$4.31 ฿142

133.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.29 $20.29

$18.60 ฿615

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.80 ฿59.5

58.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.97 ฿98.0

3.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.25 ฿74.2

-14.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.10 ฿102

-2.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.08 ฿35.56

13.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.09 $32.09

$3.87 ฿128

729.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.43 ฿47.16

-34.97%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

27.81%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-6.07%

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

$228 $228

$105 ฿3,462

117.51%

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

$81.5 $81.5

$11.39 ฿376

615.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$17.54 ฿580

390.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.39 $47.39

$54.3 ฿1,795

-12.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$14.22 $14.22

$7.78 ฿257

82.78%

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

$1,256 $1,256

$576 ฿19.0K

117.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.3K $27.3K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

135.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 $77.8

$63.6 ฿2,103

22.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.30 $46.30

$29.10 ฿961

59.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$96.2 ฿3,179

15.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$90.0 ฿2,974

52.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,605 $1,605

$733 ฿24.2K

118.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 $1,293

$501 ฿16.5K

158.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,471 $2,471

$2,126 ฿70.2K

16.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,100 $2,100

$1,252 ฿41.4K

67.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,808 $2,808

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-20.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 $2,491

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-4.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.07

5.57

8.98%

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

Last update for Hartsville, SC: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,605 in Hartsville, SC and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $138 in Hartsville, SC vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $536 vs $275 per month, with Phuket 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

Hartsville, SC vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 119% lower than in Hartsville, SC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,155 in Hartsville, SC and $1,898 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: $1,605 in Hartsville, SC versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Hartsville, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,770 per month in Hartsville, SC versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,770 in Hartsville, SC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Hartsville, SC. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hartsville, SC 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Hartsville, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.