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: $2,366 in Hearst versus $1,247 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,408 in Hearst versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,450 in Hearst versus $3,306 in Phuket.

Living in Hearst is roughly 90% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hearst is 76% above, Phuket is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 CA$23.23

$4.59 ฿147

269.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 CA$94.8

$46.83 ฿1,501

47.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 CA$15.08

$8.70 ฿279

26.55%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.22

$2.92 ฿93.7

30.48%

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

$2.04 CA$2.79

$0.68 ฿21.92

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.25

$0.40 ฿12.70

310.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.56 CA$7.61

$2.51 ฿80.4

121.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 CA$8.21

$3.80 ฿122

57.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CA$2.98

$2.16 ฿69.3

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.62

$1.88 ฿60.3

40.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 CA$4.87

$2.16 ฿69.2

64.81%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.82

$2.22 ฿71.2

58.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.34 CA$15.53

$19.57 ฿627

-42.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.68 CA$16.00

$3.80 ฿122

207.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 CA$20.04

$13.41 ฿430

9.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 CA$5.49

$3.26 ฿104

23.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 CA$1.92

$1.61 ฿51.7

-13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.08

$2.31 ฿74.0

60.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.17

$2.06 ฿66.0

83.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.31

$1.61 ฿51.5

49.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 CA$3.47

$1.44 ฿46.26

75.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CA$3.54

$1.03 ฿33.01

150.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.33

$0.48 ฿15.39

254.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.85 CA$18.97

$4.50 ฿144

207.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.63 CA$20.04

$19.18 ฿615

-23.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 CA$4.05

$1.82 ฿58.4

62.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CA$4.15

$2.69 ฿86.2

12.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.15

$1.38 ฿44.16

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.0 CA$86.3

$11.76 ฿377

435.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.46

$3.11 ฿99.6

4.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.05

$1.00 ฿32.18

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.90 CA$35.48

$13.74 ฿441

88.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.61

$1.30 ฿41.61

-10.00%

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

$24.8K CA$34.0K

$27.4K ฿877.0K

-9.24%

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

$20.3K CA$27.8K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-38.62%

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

$142 CA$195

$125 ฿4,004

14.04%

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

$44.44 CA$60.9

$13.74 ฿440

223.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.7 CA$87.2

$18.61 ฿597

242.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.17 CA$57.8

$60.6 ฿1,941

-30.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.93 CA$20.45

$17.15 ฿550

-12.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 CA$15.82

$9.01 ฿289

28.19%

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

$745 CA$1,020

$698 ฿22.4K

6.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$15.9K

$16.1K ฿516.5K

-28.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$73.3

$59.2 ฿1,898

-9.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.97 CA$53.4

$34.86 ฿1,118

11.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 CA$120

$114 ฿3,662

-23.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$149

$85.8 ฿2,751

27.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 CA$1,834

$619 ฿19.8K

116.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 CA$1,638

$437 ฿14.0K

173.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 CA$2,773

$2,075 ฿66.5K

-2.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 CA$2,488

$1,509 ฿48.4K

20.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,297 CA$5,887

$3,764 ฿120.7K

14.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,214 CA$4,403

$2,694 ฿86.4K

19.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,300 CA$4,521

$528 ฿16.9K

524.43%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,339 in Hearst and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 524% 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: $69 in Hearst vs $47 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $292 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 90% in total monthly costs ($2,366 vs $1,247 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hearst pays 524% 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: $1,339 in Hearst versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $745 in Hearst versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Hearst. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $2,366 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 90% less than in Hearst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.