Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,767 in Hastings versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,662 in Hastings versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,558 in Hastings versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Hastings is roughly 125% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hastings is 102% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.96 £18.65

$4.41 ฿147

465.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 £61.2

$32.26 ฿1,077

153.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 £8.96

$8.93 ฿298

34.15%

Cappuccino

$4.64 £3.47

$2.90 ฿96.6

60.00%

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

$3.23 £2.42

$0.88 ฿29.38

267.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 £0.98

$0.48 ฿16.06

172.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 £5.08

$2.35 ฿78.5

189.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 £5.21

$3.72 ฿124

87.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 £0.55

$1.87 ฿62.3

-60.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.47 ฿48.94

13.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 £1.98

$1.55 ฿51.8

70.32%

Eggs

$3.20 £2.39

$2.10 ฿70.1

52.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 £7.47

$19.59 ฿654

-48.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.76 £7.29

$3.42 ฿114

185.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 £10.03

$11.38 ฿380

17.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 £2.16

$2.98 ฿99.6

-3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 £1.35

$1.68 ฿56.2

7.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 £2.14

$2.21 ฿73.7

29.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 £2.63

$2.16 ฿72.1

62.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 £1.34

$1.52 ฿50.9

17.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.34 ฿44.67

18.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.13 ฿37.67

9.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.36

$0.55 ฿18.24

230.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.87 £13.36

$4.26 ฿142

319.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.72 £5.02

$19.09 ฿637

-64.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 £2.28

$1.78 ฿59.4

71.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 £2.57

$2.78 ฿92.9

23.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.44 £2.57

$2.23 ฿74.4

54.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 £73.2

$22.74 ฿759

330.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 £3.33

$3.03 ฿101

47.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 £0.82

$1.02 ฿34.15

7.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.60 £24.37

$3.89 ฿130

738.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 £1.52

$1.49 ฿49.77

36.24%

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

$39.8K £29.7K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

49.60%

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

$42.0K £31.4K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

55.32%

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

$337 £252

$102 ฿3,420

229.23%

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

$19.91 £14.88

$11.33 ฿378

75.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.5 £40.70

$17.40 ฿581

213.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.63 £34.85

$52.1 ฿1,738

-10.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$16.35 £12.22

$7.69 ฿257

112.61%

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

$1,611 £1,204

$561 ฿18.7K

187.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K £13.8K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

60.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 £78.3

$63.0 ฿2,104

66.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 £38.68

$29.52 ฿986

75.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £78.3

$98.0 ฿3,272

6.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 £99.8

$88.5 ฿2,954

50.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,461 £1,092

$738 ฿24.6K

97.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 £956

$482 ฿16.1K

165.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 £1,558

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-1.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 £1,151

$1,226 ฿40.9K

25.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,116 £3,823

$3,617 ฿120.7K

41.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,590 £2,683

$2,603 ฿86.9K

37.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,436 £2,568

$494 ฿16.5K

596.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

5.57

-10.95%

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

Last update for Hastings: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,461 in Hastings and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hastings pays 596% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Hastings vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $274 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

Hastings vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hastings and Phuket differ by about 125% in total monthly costs ($2,767 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 596% higher in Hastings, 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: $1,461 in Hastings versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,767 per month in Hastings versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 125% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 331% less than in Hastings. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,767 in Hastings, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Hastings. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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, Hastings 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 125% less than in Hastings. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.