Cost of Living Comparison Between Hillcrest and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Hillcrest and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,110 per month in Hillcrest vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,730 per month in Hillcrest vs $2,054 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,350 per month in Hillcrest vs $2,876 in Phuket, rent included.

Hillcrest is about 10% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Hillcrest and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Hillcrest 19% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.64 R 124

$4.41 ฿147

73.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.61 R 627

$32.26 ฿1,074

19.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.32 R 103

$8.93 ฿297

-29.23%

Cappuccino

$2.86 R 46.49

$2.90 ฿96.4

-1.38%

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

$1.18 R 19.09

$0.88 ฿29.30

34.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.19

$0.48 ฿16.01

81.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.55

$2.35 ฿78.3

8.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R 44.40

$3.72 ฿124

-26.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 R 20.98

$1.87 ฿62.1

-31.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.42

$1.47 ฿48.81

-31.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.25

$1.55 ฿51.7

4.52%

Eggs

$2.45 R 39.85

$2.10 ฿70.0

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 R 135

$19.59 ฿652

-57.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 R 86.8

$3.42 ฿114

56.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.14 R 116

$11.38 ฿379

-37.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 R 20.67

$2.98 ฿99.3

-57.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.86

$1.68 ฿56.1

13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 R 31.97

$2.21 ฿73.5

-10.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R 26.91

$2.16 ฿72.0

-23.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.95

$1.52 ฿50.8

1.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.58

$1.34 ฿44.55

8.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 R 19.71

$1.13 ฿37.57

7.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.41

$0.55 ฿18.19

116.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 R 59.9

$4.26 ฿142

-13.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.98 R 80.9

$19.09 ฿635

-73.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 24.72

$1.78 ฿59.2

-14.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 R 32.45

$2.78 ฿92.6

-28.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 R 24.77

$2.23 ฿74.2

-31.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 R 7.38

$3.03 ฿101

-85.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 R 12.52

$1.02 ฿34.06

-24.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 R 126

$3.89 ฿130

99.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.13

$1.49 ฿49.63

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

$37.2K R 604.1K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

39.90%

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

$33.2K R 539.4K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

22.84%

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

$143 R 2,326

$102 ฿3,411

39.69%

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

$35.30 R 574

$11.33 ฿377

211.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.45 R 657

$17.40 ฿579

132.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.69 R 531

$52.1 ฿1,734

-37.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$6.92 R 112

$7.69 ฿256

-10.01%

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

$330 R 5,358

$561 ฿18.7K

-41.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,825 R 127.1K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-31.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 R 922

$63.0 ฿2,098

-9.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.12 R 489

$29.52 ฿983

2.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 R 1,620

$98.0 ฿3,263

1.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 R 1,440

$88.5 ฿2,946

0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 R 7,077

$738 ฿24.6K

-40.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 R 6,204

$482 ฿16.1K

-20.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 R 13.0K

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-62.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 R 12.3K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-38.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$888 R 14.4K

$3,617 ฿120.4K

-75.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$701 R 11.4K

$2,603 ฿86.7K

-73.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.81

5.57

112.03%

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

Last update for Hillcrest: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $436 in Hillcrest versus $738 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Hillcrest versus $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $195 in Hillcrest vs $274 in Phuket – so Hillcrest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Hillcrest vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,110 in Hillcrest, $1,232 in Phuket – roughly 11% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,664 per month in Hillcrest and $1,847 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hillcrest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Hillcrest and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hillcrest, where all-in costs run around $1,110, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Hillcrest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,110 in Hillcrest to $1,232 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hillcrest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.