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: $2,639 in Hastings versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,540 in Hastings versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,442 in Hastings versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Hastings is roughly 109% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hastings is 97% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.59 £15.34

$4.70 ฿154

338.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 £58.6

$45.37 ฿1,483

73.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 £8.51

$8.43 ฿276

35.59%

Cappuccino

$4.48 £3.33

$2.93 ฿95.7

52.90%

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

$2.67 £1.99

$0.69 ฿22.42

286.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 £0.99

$0.37 ฿12.00

262.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 £5.16

$2.41 ฿78.7

187.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 £4.99

$3.72 ฿122

80.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 £0.53

$2.23 ฿73.0

-68.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 £1.06

$1.83 ฿59.9

-22.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 £2.08

$2.17 ฿70.9

29.03%

Eggs

$3.34 £2.49

$2.21 ฿72.4

51.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 £7.00

$19.74 ฿645

-52.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 £6.92

$3.63 ฿119

155.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.35 £9.94

$13.53 ฿442

-1.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 £1.72

$3.28 ฿107

-29.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.61 ฿52.7

-0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 £1.86

$2.41 ฿78.7

3.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 £2.69

$2.08 ฿68.1

73.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.36

$1.53 ฿49.97

18.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 £0.90

$1.48 ฿48.41

-18.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 £0.74

$0.99 ฿32.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 £1.71

$0.51 ฿16.68

350.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.70 £13.19

$4.41 ฿144

301.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.81 £5.07

$19.38 ฿634

-64.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 £2.18

$1.78 ฿58.1

64.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.51

$2.71 ฿88.7

24.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £1.99

$1.37 ฿44.83

95.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.5 £66.7

$11.39 ฿372

686.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 £3.81

$3.02 ฿98.7

69.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 £1.25

$0.99 ฿32.51

68.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 £29.80

$14.10 ฿461

183.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.36 ฿44.55

42.65%

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

$20.4K £15.2K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-27.80%

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

$33.1K £24.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

0.61%

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

$334 £249

$122 ฿3,978

174.27%

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

$18.87 £14.05

$13.57 ฿444

39.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.88 £20.02

$18.31 ฿599

46.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.31 £34.49

$60.2 ฿1,969

-23.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.76 £35.57

$17.14 ฿560

178.65%

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 £9.21

$8.69 ฿284

42.35%

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

$1,552 £1,156

$693 ฿22.7K

123.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K £13.5K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

15.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 £60.7

$59.5 ฿1,946

36.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.86 £30.43

$34.77 ฿1,137

17.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 £88.6

$115 ฿3,746

3.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 £110

$83.3 ฿2,723

78.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 £1,095

$613 ฿20.0K

139.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 £972

$437 ฿14.3K

198.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 £1,523

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-2.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 £1,131

$1,509 ฿49.3K

0.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K £10.2K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

264.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,444 £2,565

$508 ฿16.6K

577.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

5.33

5.44%

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

Last update for Hastings: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,470 in Hastings and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hastings pays 578% 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: $79.0 in Hastings vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $293, with Hastings 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

Hastings vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hastings and Phuket differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($2,639 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hastings pays 578% 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: $1,470 in Hastings versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,639 per month in Hastings versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 109% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 686% less than in Hastings. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,639 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 109% less than in Hastings. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.