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: $2,336 in Hearst versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Hearst versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,476 in Hearst versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Hearst is roughly 85% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hearst is 76% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.11

$4.48 ฿150

283.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 CA$98.9

$45.59 ฿1,525

54.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 CA$15.54

$8.76 ฿293

26.37%

Cappuccino

$3.70 CA$5.19

$2.97 ฿99.3

24.58%

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

$2.04 CA$2.86

$0.69 ฿22.96

195.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.40

$0.39 ฿13.07

338.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.44 CA$7.64

$2.53 ฿84.7

115.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 CA$8.42

$3.75 ฿125

60.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.05

$2.15 ฿71.8

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.81

$1.82 ฿60.7

49.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 CA$5.10

$2.18 ฿73.1

66.51%

Eggs

$3.39 CA$4.75

$2.25 ฿75.2

50.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.77

$20.00 ฿669

-43.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.20

$3.63 ฿121

217.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 CA$21.01

$13.56 ฿453

10.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.81

$3.24 ฿109

27.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 CA$1.91

$1.64 ฿54.7

-17.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.25

$2.33 ฿78.0

60.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.22

$2.07 ฿69.3

79.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CA$3.54

$1.55 ฿51.8

62.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.56

$1.46 ฿48.67

73.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 CA$3.71

$0.98 ฿32.94

169.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 CA$2.49

$0.48 ฿16.13

268.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.70 CA$19.23

$4.35 ฿146

214.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CA$19.20

$18.57 ฿621

-26.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.06

$1.86 ฿62.1

55.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CA$4.29

$2.65 ฿88.8

15.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 CA$3.27

$1.42 ฿47.40

64.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.7 CA$89.4

$11.57 ฿387

450.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 CA$4.54

$3.17 ฿106

2.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.09

$1.03 ฿34.51

44.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.10 CA$36.63

$13.89 ฿465

87.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.63

$1.34 ฿44.96

-13.43%

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

$25.3K CA$35.5K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

-9.05%

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

$20.6K CA$28.9K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-38.39%

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

$143 CA$200

$123 ฿4,116

16.07%

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

$44.36 CA$62.3

$13.77 ฿461

222.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.6 CA$87.9

$18.33 ฿613

241.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.69 CA$58.5

$60.7 ฿2,030

-31.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.81 CA$20.79

$17.16 ฿574

-13.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 CA$16.08

$8.87 ฿297

29.20%

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

$733 CA$1,029

$688 ฿23.0K

6.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K CA$16.7K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-24.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$75.0

$59.3 ฿1,984

-9.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.55 CA$55.5

$34.69 ฿1,160

14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 CA$121

$115 ฿3,853

-25.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$83.8 ฿2,802

26.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 CA$1,860

$621 ฿20.8K

113.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 CA$1,684

$446 ฿14.9K

168.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 CA$2,854

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-0.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,838 CA$2,579

$1,496 ฿50.0K

22.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,673 CA$5,156

$3,455 ฿115.6K

6.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,193 CA$4,481

$2,531 ฿84.7K

26.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,185 CA$4,470

$494 ฿16.5K

545.22%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Hearst and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 545% 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: $70.0 in Hearst vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $291 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 85% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $1,264 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 545% higher in Hearst, 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: $1,325 in Hearst versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $733 in Hearst versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Hearst. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,336 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 85% less than in Hearst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.