Cost of Living Comparison Between Hearst and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Hearst and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,322 in Hearst versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,334 in Hearst versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Hearst versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Hearst is roughly 84% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hearst is 73% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.09 CA$23.87

$4.56 ฿149

274.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$99.2

$46.63 ฿1,519

52.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 CA$15.71

$8.47 ฿276

32.82%

Cappuccino

$3.87 CA$5.40

$3.03 ฿98.6

27.72%

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

$1.99 CA$2.78

$0.69 ฿22.45

188.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.39

$0.37 ฿11.92

362.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 CA$7.91

$2.49 ฿81.0

127.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 CA$8.36

$3.66 ฿119

63.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$2.18 ฿71.0

0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 CA$3.66

$1.90 ฿62.0

37.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.95

$2.20 ฿71.6

60.91%

Eggs

$3.50 CA$4.88

$2.22 ฿72.4

57.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 CA$15.85

$19.99 ฿651

-43.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.88 CA$16.58

$3.66 ฿119

224.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.67 CA$20.49

$13.25 ฿432

10.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.53

$3.23 ฿105

22.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.98

$1.70 ฿55.3

-16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.23

$2.39 ฿78.0

56.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.34

$2.08 ฿67.7

83.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.46

$1.59 ฿51.8

55.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.54

$1.48 ฿48.31

71.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CA$3.65

$1.03 ฿33.54

154.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 CA$2.47

$0.52 ฿16.83

240.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.93 CA$19.45

$4.25 ฿138

227.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.39 CA$15.91

$18.79 ฿612

-39.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.94

$1.76 ฿57.2

60.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CA$4.26

$2.76 ฿89.8

10.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 CA$3.29

$1.36 ฿44.32

73.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.5 CA$87.2

$11.36 ฿370

449.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.36

$3.14 ฿102

-0.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 CA$2.02

$1.04 ฿33.74

39.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.96 CA$36.25

$13.77 ฿448

88.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.63

$1.34 ฿43.79

-12.69%

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

$25.1K CA$35.0K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-9.41%

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

$20.9K CA$29.2K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-38.36%

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

$141 CA$197

$124 ฿4,025

14.26%

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

$44.19 CA$61.7

$13.52 ฿440

226.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 CA$89.1

$18.69 ฿609

241.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.68 CA$59.6

$61.8 ฿2,013

-30.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.45 CA$20.17

$17.25 ฿562

-16.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.49 CA$16.05

$9.14 ฿298

25.71%

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

$740 CA$1,033

$703 ฿22.9K

5.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.5K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-25.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 CA$77.4

$59.5 ฿1,937

-6.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 CA$54.6

$35.07 ฿1,142

11.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 CA$122

$115 ฿3,754

-24.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$149

$84.1 ฿2,737

26.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 CA$1,803

$619 ฿20.1K

108.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 CA$1,666

$433 ฿14.1K

175.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,054 CA$2,869

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-0.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 CA$2,551

$1,511 ฿49.2K

20.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,224 CA$5,899

$3,646 ฿118.7K

15.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,638 CA$5,081

$2,626 ฿85.5K

38.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,208 CA$4,480

$507 ฿16.5K

532.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

5.33

21.20%

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

Last update for Hearst: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,291 in Hearst and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 533% 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: $71.0 in Hearst vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $293 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

Hearst vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hearst and Phuket differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($2,322 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hearst pays 533% 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: $1,291 in Hearst versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $740 in Hearst versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Hearst. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,322 in Hearst, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Hearst. 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, Hearst 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 84% less than in Hearst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.