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: $2,584 in Hastings versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,526 in Hastings versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,467 in Hastings versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Hastings is roughly 107% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hastings is 93% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.14 £14.98

$4.55 ฿153

342.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 £58.5

$46.18 ฿1,554

70.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 £8.58

$8.84 ฿298

30.43%

Cappuccino

$4.49 £3.34

$3.06 ฿103

46.73%

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

$2.69 £2.00

$0.73 ฿24.42

268.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.99

$0.40 ฿13.40

232.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 £5.17

$2.43 ฿81.8

186.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.62 £4.92

$3.78 ฿127

75.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 £0.52

$2.26 ฿76.0

-69.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.81 ฿60.9

-24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 £2.00

$2.25 ฿75.8

19.56%

Eggs

$3.30 £2.45

$2.25 ฿75.6

46.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 £7.10

$19.51 ฿656

-51.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 £6.97

$3.65 ฿123

156.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 £10.21

$13.05 ฿439

5.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 £1.73

$3.23 ฿109

-28.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.62 ฿54.4

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 £1.77

$2.38 ฿80.2

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 £2.58

$2.03 ฿68.2

70.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.53 ฿51.6

19.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 £0.90

$1.50 ฿50.5

-19.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 £0.70

$0.98 ฿32.93

-4.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 £1.72

$0.52 ฿17.40

344.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.34 £12.89

$4.44 ฿149

290.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.51 £4.84

$18.32 ฿616

-64.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 £2.15

$1.86 ฿62.7

55.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 £2.50

$2.68 ฿90.2

25.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £1.99

$1.41 ฿47.49

89.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.2 £67.8

$11.70 ฿394

679.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 £3.84

$3.11 ฿105

65.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.04 ฿35.08

67.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.35 £30.76

$14.11 ฿475

193.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.31 ฿44.13

43.51%

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

$20.2K £15.0K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-27.41%

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

$33.1K £24.6K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-0.38%

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

$340 £253

$122 ฿4,120

177.61%

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

$18.36 £13.65

$13.59 ฿457

35.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 £20.53

$18.70 ฿629

47.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.98 £33.45

$60.5 ฿2,035

-25.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.08 £35.02

$16.98 ฿572

177.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.99 £8.92

$9.07 ฿305

32.19%

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

$1,559 £1,159

$706 ฿23.8K

120.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.4K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

14.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 £59.5

$58.6 ฿1,970

36.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 £30.86

$35.36 ฿1,190

17.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 £87.3

$115 ฿3,885

1.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 £108

$83.7 ฿2,818

73.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 £1,131

$626 ฿21.1K

143.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 £951

$445 ฿15.0K

187.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 £1,492

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-1.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 £1,123

$1,492 ฿50.2K

1.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K £10.0K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

286.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,300 £2,454

$500 ฿16.8K

560.15%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,520 in Hastings and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hastings pays 560% 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 $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $289, 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 107% in total monthly costs ($2,584 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 560% 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: $1,520 in Hastings versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,584 per month in Hastings versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 679% less than in Hastings. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,584 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 107% less than in Hastings. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.