Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hattiesburg, MS and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,958 in Hattiesburg, MS, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Hattiesburg, MS
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Hattiesburg, MS Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Hattiesburg, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,958

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hattiesburg, MS and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hattiesburg, MS and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,958 in Hattiesburg, MS versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Hattiesburg, MS $1,958
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,893 in Hattiesburg, MS versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Hattiesburg, MS $2,893
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,828 in Hattiesburg, MS versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Hattiesburg, MS $3,828
Phuket $2,867

Living in Hattiesburg, MS is roughly 62% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hattiesburg, MS is 45% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 $16.17

$4.58 ฿153

253.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 $80.5

$32.48 ฿1,086

147.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 $10.61

$8.55 ฿286

24.09%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$2.72 ฿91.0

101.84%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$0.94 ฿31.25

171.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.49 ฿16.39

353.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.59 ฿86.6

96.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.83 ฿128

52.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.74 ฿58.1

-31.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.43 ฿47.82

165.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.15 $6.15

$1.53 ฿51.0

301.96%

Eggs

$5.46 $5.46

$2.17 ฿72.7

151.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$19.15 ฿640

-20.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 $9.97

$3.30 ฿110

202.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 $15.66

$11.14 ฿372

40.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$2.95 ฿98.5

77.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.68 ฿56.1

-2.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$2.30 ฿76.8

125.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$2.13 ฿71.3

168.08%

Potato (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.53 ฿51.1

186.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.36 ฿45.55

140.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.12 ฿37.44

95.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$0.55 ฿18.24

383.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.94 $8.94

$4.26 ฿142

109.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 $16.23

$18.19 ฿608

-10.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.74 ฿58.2

45.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.79 ฿93.3

42.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.91 ฿97.3

20.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.01 ฿33.79

46.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.70 $34.70

$3.83 ฿128

806.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.49 ฿49.85

-44.30%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

34.97%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-4.92%

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

$146 $146

$99.4 ฿3,321

46.71%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$11.28 ฿377

527.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 $74.9

$17.36 ฿580

331.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.87 $9.87

$10.85 ฿362

-9.03%

Cinema Ticket

$12.70 $12.70

$7.57 ฿253

67.77%

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

$1,573 $1,573

$558 ฿18.7K

181.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K $10.3K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-10.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$62.9 ฿2,102

-9.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.17 $43.17

$28.58 ฿955

51.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 $87.1

$96.1 ฿3,213

-9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$88.1 ฿2,943

36.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 $1,051

$729 ฿24.4K

44.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 $771

$460 ฿15.4K

67.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 $1,569

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-25.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 $1,108

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-9.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,620 $1,620

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-53.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,611 $1,611

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-35.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,015 $3,015

$493 ฿16.5K

511.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

5.57

19.57%

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

Last update for Hattiesburg, MS: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Hattiesburg, MS

$771 39.4%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 40.3% $311

Groceries & Markets

Hattiesburg, MS

$438 22.4%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 38.9% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hattiesburg, MS

$292 14.9%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 56.1% $164

Eating Out

Hattiesburg, MS

$283 14.5%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 57.2% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Hattiesburg, MS

$138 7.1%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 10.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Hattiesburg, MS

$25 * 1.3%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 165% $42

Getting Around

Hattiesburg, MS

$11 * 0.6%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 256% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Hattiesburg, MS and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hattiesburg, MS pays 511% 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: $80.0 in Hattiesburg, MS vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hattiesburg, MS

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

23:30 11:30 PM

11:30 11:30 AM

12 h ahead of Hattiesburg, MS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,989

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hattiesburg, MS Phuket 15,580 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Hattiesburg, MS
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Hattiesburg, MS vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 511% higher in Hattiesburg, MS, 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: $1,051 in Hattiesburg, MS versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Hattiesburg, MS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,958 per month in Hattiesburg, MS versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,958 in Hattiesburg, MS, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Hattiesburg, MS. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hattiesburg, MS, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hattiesburg, MS 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 62% less than in Hattiesburg, MS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.