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: $2,499 in Hartsville, SC versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,578 in Hartsville, SC versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,658 in Hartsville, SC versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Hartsville, SC is roughly 98% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hartsville, SC is 88% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 $10.06

$4.48 ฿150

124.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 $45.59

$45.59 ฿1,525

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 $9.81

$8.76 ฿293

11.99%

Cappuccino

$3.94 $3.94

$2.97 ฿99.3

32.66%

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

$2.23 $2.23

$0.69 ฿22.96

223.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.39 ฿13.07

428.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.53 ฿84.7

21.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.75 ฿125

57.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.15 ฿71.8

-56.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 $4.04

$1.82 ฿60.7

121.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.18 ฿73.1

46.33%

Eggs

$4.59 $4.59

$2.25 ฿75.2

104.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.90 $13.90

$20.00 ฿669

-30.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.49 $11.49

$3.63 ฿121

216.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.29 $16.29

$13.56 ฿453

20.13%

Apples (1kg)

$7.03 $7.03

$3.24 ฿109

116.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.64 ฿54.7

-10.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$2.33 ฿78.0

145.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$2.07 ฿69.3

197.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.55 ฿51.8

133.55%

Onion (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$1.46 ฿48.67

179.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.98 ฿32.94

121.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.48 ฿16.13

347.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.36 $7.36

$4.35 ฿146

69.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.02 $20.02

$18.57 ฿621

7.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.86 ฿62.1

12.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.65 ฿88.8

18.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.42 ฿47.40

42.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.17 ฿106

-19.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.03 ฿34.51

66.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.91 $14.91

$13.89 ฿465

7.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.34 ฿44.96

-40.30%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

7.40%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-20.62%

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

$163 $163

$123 ฿4,116

32.54%

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

$65.0 $65.0

$13.77 ฿461

372.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.2 $67.2

$18.33 ฿613

266.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.36 $42.36

$60.7 ฿2,030

-30.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

Cinema Ticket

$14.76 $14.76

$8.87 ฿297

66.40%

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

$1,495 $1,495

$688 ฿23.0K

117.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

51.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.32 $40.32

$59.3 ฿1,984

-32.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.86 $48.86

$34.69 ฿1,160

40.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.30 $49.30

$115 ฿3,853

-57.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.6 $81.6

$83.8 ฿2,802

-2.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 $1,615

$621 ฿20.8K

159.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 $1,363

$446 ฿14.9K

205.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 $2,663

$2,034 ฿68.0K

30.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,249 $2,249

$1,496 ฿50.0K

50.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,967 $2,967

$3,455 ฿115.6K

-14.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,248 $2,248

$2,531 ฿84.7K

-11.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

5.33

22.51%

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

Last update for Hartsville, SC: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,615 in Hartsville, SC and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Hartsville, SC vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $437 vs $291, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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 98% 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 $3,748 in Hartsville, SC and $1,896 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: $1,615 in Hartsville, SC versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Hartsville, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,499 per month in Hartsville, SC versus $1,264 in Phuket – a 98% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,499 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 $1,264 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 98% less than in Hartsville, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.