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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,320 per month in Hillcrest vs $1,264 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,876 per month in Hillcrest vs $2,256 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,431 per month in Hillcrest vs $3,248 in Phuket, rent included.

Hillcrest costs about 4% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Hillcrest and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Hillcrest 1% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.78 R 128

$4.48 ฿150

73.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.38 R 467

$45.59 ฿1,521

-37.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 R 83.3

$8.76 ฿292

-42.24%

Cappuccino

$1.91 R 31.48

$2.97 ฿99.0

-35.69%

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

$0.87 R 14.25

$0.69 ฿22.90

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 R 11.10

$0.39 ฿13.04

71.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 R 32.96

$2.53 ฿84.4

-20.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 R 36.60

$3.75 ฿125

-40.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 R 14.46

$2.15 ฿71.6

-59.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 R 9.48

$1.82 ฿60.6

-68.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.65

$2.18 ฿72.9

-45.41%

Eggs

$2.11 R 34.79

$2.25 ฿75.0

-6.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 R 119

$20.00 ฿667

-63.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 R 63.4

$3.63 ฿121

6.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.19 R 102

$13.56 ฿452

-54.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.77

$3.24 ฿108

-55.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 R 18.22

$1.64 ฿54.6

-32.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 R 21.87

$2.33 ฿77.8

-42.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 R 22.38

$2.07 ฿69.1

-34.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R 21.43

$1.55 ฿51.6

-16.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 R 19.94

$1.46 ฿48.54

-17.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 R 16.65

$0.98 ฿32.86

3.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.39

$0.48 ฿16.09

81.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 R 47.23

$4.35 ฿145

-34.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.85 R 79.8

$18.57 ฿620

-73.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 R 24.22

$1.86 ฿61.9

-20.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 R 29.15

$2.65 ฿88.6

-33.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 R 26.59

$1.42 ฿47.28

14.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 R 27.22

$3.17 ฿106

-47.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 R 9.71

$1.03 ฿34.41

-42.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.75 R 111

$13.89 ฿463

-51.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R 22.01

$1.34 ฿44.84

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

$20.4K R 335.5K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-26.67%

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

$24.4K R 402.0K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-26.84%

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

$143 R 2,359

$123 ฿4,105

16.46%

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

$29.41 R 484

$13.77 ฿459

113.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.35 R 549

$18.33 ฿611

81.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.76 R 506

$60.7 ฿2,025

-49.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 R 111

$8.87 ฿296

-23.79%

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

$207 R 3,406

$688 ฿22.9K

-69.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,558 R 75.0K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-71.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.34 R 697

$59.3 ฿1,978

-28.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.39 R 500

$34.69 ฿1,157

-12.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 R 1,565

$115 ฿3,843

-17.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 R 1,210

$83.8 ฿2,794

-12.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 R 5,944

$621 ฿20.7K

-41.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$679 R 11.2K

$446 ฿14.9K

52.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 R 11.3K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-66.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 R 18.5K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-24.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$904 R 14.9K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-73.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$695 R 11.4K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-72.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.01

5.33

125.33%

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

Last update for Hillcrest: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $361 in Hillcrest versus $621 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 $28.00 in Hillcrest versus $46.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $155 vs $291 – making Hillcrest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $1,320 in Hillcrest, $1,264 in Phuket – roughly 4% apart. Hillcrest costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,980 per month in Hillcrest and $1,896 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, 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 $28.00 in Hillcrest and $46.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 88% cheaper in Hillcrest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,264, than in Hillcrest at $1,320. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hillcrest 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 $1,264 in Phuket to $1,320 in Hillcrest. 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 Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hillcrest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.