Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilton Head Island, SC and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,925 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Hilton Head Island, SC
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Hilton Head Island, SC Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Hilton Head Island, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,925

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hilton Head Island, SC and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hilton Head Island, SC and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,925 per month in Hilton Head Island, SC vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Hilton Head Island, SC $2,925
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $2,687 per month in Hilton Head Island, SC vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Hilton Head Island, SC $2,687
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $2,449 per month in Hilton Head Island, SC vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Hilton Head Island, SC $2,449
Phuket $3,154

Hilton Head Island, SC costs about 129% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hilton Head Island, SC sits 115% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$4.47 ฿151

345.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 $60.1

$32.41 ฿1,093

85.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.29 $11.29

$8.81 ฿297

28.15%

Cappuccino

$4.97 $4.97

$2.83 ฿95.4

75.62%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$0.87 ฿29.40

255.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.49 ฿16.65

314.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$2.56 ฿86.3

92.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 $6.07

$3.68 ฿124

64.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.66 ฿55.9

-57.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.46 ฿49.29

123.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.50 ฿50.5

146.00%

Eggs

$2.91 $2.91

$2.09 ฿70.5

39.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 $8.72

$19.07 ฿643

-54.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 $9.56

$3.30 ฿111

189.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$10.91 ฿368

20.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.93 ฿98.8

57.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.69 ฿57.0

-13.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$2.25 ฿75.7

72.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$2.08 ฿70.0

119.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.51 ฿51.0

91.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.38 ฿46.51

123.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.07 ฿35.95

136.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.52 ฿17.50

367.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.05 $9.05

$4.20 ฿142

115.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$18.79 ฿634

-19.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.82 ฿61.4

17.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.84 ฿95.8

10.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.02 ฿102

-49.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.02 ฿34.32

10.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.75 $13.75

$3.69 ฿124

272.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.47 ฿49.75

-36.05%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$26.8K ฿903.2K

16.41%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.7K ฿900.3K

-3.03%

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

$216 $216

$96.4 ฿3,250

124.33%

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

$55.1 $55.1

$11.26 ฿380

389.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.8 $67.8

$16.85 ฿568

302.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.28 $20.28

$67.2 ฿2,268

-69.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$14.54 $14.54

$7.50 ฿253

93.87%

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

$1,294 $1,294

$476 ฿16.1K

171.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$11.3K ฿379.9K

5.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.48 $34.48

$62.4 ฿2,103

-44.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.82 $34.82

$28.41 ฿958

22.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 $80.3

$94.3 ฿3,180

-14.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 $71.4

$85.8 ฿2,894

-16.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 $2,151

$716 ฿24.1K

200.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,769 $1,769

$491 ฿16.6K

260.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 $2,272

$1,927 ฿65.0K

17.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,619 $3,619

$4,175 ฿140.8K

-13.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,538 $3,538

$3,045 ฿102.7K

16.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,451 $3,451

$502 ฿16.9K

587.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

5.57

19.21%

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

Last update for Hilton Head Island, SC: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Hilton Head Island, SC

$1.8K 60.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 72.2% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Hilton Head Island, SC

$351 12%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 24.1% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hilton Head Island, SC

$339 11.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 63.3% $215

Eating Out

Hilton Head Island, SC

$310 10.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 60.8% $188

Clothing & Footwear

Hilton Head Island, SC

$99 3.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 22.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Hilton Head Island, SC

$49 1.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 66.6% $33

Getting Around

Hilton Head Island, SC

$7.2 * 0.3%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 884% $63

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,151 in Hilton Head Island, SC versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hilton Head Island, SC are about 6.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Hilton Head Island, SC versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hilton Head Island, SC

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:37 12:37 PM

00:37 12:37 AM

12 h ahead of Hilton Head Island, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,512

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hilton Head Island, SC Phuket 15,560 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Hilton Head Island, SC
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Hilton Head Island, SC vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilton Head Island, SC costs about 129% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,387 per month in Hilton Head Island, SC and $1,917 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $2,151 in Hilton Head Island, SC.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,925 in Hilton Head Island, SC and $1,278 in Phuket. That makes Phuket about 56% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,294 per month in Hilton Head Island, SC and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Hilton Head Island, SC at $2,925. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hilton Head Island, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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