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: $2,275 in Hearst versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Hearst versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,382 in Hearst versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Hearst is roughly 80% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hearst is 65% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 CA$24.56

$4.66 ฿154

280.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.5 CA$90.9

$32.22 ฿1,065

103.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 CA$15.04

$8.68 ฿287

25.00%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.07

$2.90 ฿95.8

25.86%

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

$2.02 CA$2.80

$0.84 ฿27.89

140.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.23

$0.49 ฿16.16

228.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.30 CA$7.34

$2.48 ฿82.0

113.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 CA$8.11

$3.73 ฿123

56.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CA$2.93

$1.89 ฿62.3

11.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.67

$1.41 ฿46.54

87.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.73

$1.62 ฿53.6

110.49%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.83

$2.24 ฿74.1

55.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 CA$14.09

$19.84 ฿656

-48.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 CA$16.45

$3.48 ฿115

240.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 CA$20.48

$11.37 ฿376

29.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.42

$2.90 ฿95.8

34.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.83

$1.72 ฿57.0

-23.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.11

$2.27 ฿75.1

62.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.42

$2.13 ฿70.4

83.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 CA$3.54

$1.47 ฿48.72

73.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 CA$3.17

$1.42 ฿46.92

61.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CA$3.46

$1.10 ฿36.25

126.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.34

$0.60 ฿19.76

180.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.73 CA$20.42

$4.31 ฿142

241.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 CA$17.66

$18.60 ฿615

-31.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 CA$3.85

$1.80 ฿59.5

54.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CA$4.40

$2.97 ฿98.0

6.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.31

$2.25 ฿74.2

6.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 CA$89.4

$23.49 ฿776

174.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 CA$3.98

$3.10 ฿102

-7.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.03

$1.08 ฿35.56

36.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.89 CA$33.13

$3.87 ฿128

517.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.57

$1.43 ฿47.16

-20.98%

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

$28.0K CA$38.8K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

0.81%

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

$19.8K CA$27.4K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-26.77%

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

$139 CA$193

$105 ฿3,462

33.06%

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

$39.58 CA$54.9

$11.39 ฿376

247.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CA$80.2

$17.54 ฿580

229.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.92 CA$58.1

$54.3 ฿1,795

-22.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.64 CA$25.85

$11.44 ฿378

62.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 CA$15.72

$7.78 ฿257

45.63%

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

$760 CA$1,054

$576 ฿19.0K

31.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K CA$18.7K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

16.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 CA$74.9

$63.6 ฿2,103

-15.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 CA$55.0

$29.10 ฿961

36.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 CA$122

$96.2 ฿3,179

-8.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 CA$139

$90.0 ฿2,974

11.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 CA$1,785

$733 ฿24.2K

75.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 CA$1,618

$501 ฿16.5K

132.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 CA$2,781

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-5.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 CA$2,384

$1,252 ฿41.4K

37.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,320 CA$5,992

$3,534 ฿116.8K

22.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,639 CA$5,046

$2,622 ฿86.6K

38.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,306 CA$4,585

$508 ฿16.8K

551.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

5.57

-15.98%

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

Last update for Hearst: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Hearst and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 551% 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: $66.0 in Hearst vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $275 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 80% in total monthly costs ($2,275 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 551% 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: $1,287 in Hearst versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $760 in Hearst versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Hearst. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,275 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 80% less than in Hearst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.