Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Honolulu, HI and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $3,963 in Honolulu, HI, rent and utilities included – about $33,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

190

Cost of Living Index in Honolulu, HI
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Honolulu, HI Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Honolulu, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,963

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Honolulu, HI 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 Honolulu, HI and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,963 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $3,963
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $6,161 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $6,161
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $8,359 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $8,359
Phuket $2,845

Honolulu, HI costs about 228% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Honolulu, HI sits 193% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.50 $28.50

$4.40 ฿147

547.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$143 $143

$32.26 ฿1,078

342.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.25 $15.25

$8.76 ฿293

74.09%

Cappuccino

$10.44 $10.44

$2.83 ฿94.5

268.90%

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

$5.06 $5.06

$0.90 ฿30.14

462.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$0.47 ฿15.56

644.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.40 $10.40

$2.55 ฿85.2

307.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.66 $11.66

$3.83 ฿128

204.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.73 ฿57.7

26.59%

White Bread (500g)

$7.54 $7.54

$1.47 ฿49.11

412.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.02 $10.02

$1.51 ฿50.6

563.58%

Eggs

$8.50 $8.50

$2.17 ฿72.7

291.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.23 $28.23

$19.70 ฿658

43.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.21 $20.21

$3.34 ฿112

505.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.80 $21.80

$11.16 ฿373

95.34%

Apples (1kg)

$8.28 $8.28

$2.85 ฿95.1

190.53%

Banana (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$1.70 ฿56.9

215.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.04 $7.04

$2.19 ฿73.3

221.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.80 $9.80

$2.05 ฿68.4

378.05%

Potato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$1.45 ฿48.57

233.79%

Onion (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$1.38 ฿46.16

252.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.30 $5.30

$1.07 ฿35.69

395.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$0.51 ฿16.91

496.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.26 $13.26

$4.26 ฿142

211.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.77 $17.77

$18.58 ฿621

-4.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.78 ฿59.7

50.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 $5.68

$2.85 ฿95.2

99.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.26 ฿75.6

30.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.7 $90.7

$22.10 ฿738

310.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.01 ฿101

18.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.06 ฿35.34

141.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.20 $45.20

$3.86 ฿129

1070.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.45 ฿48.45

-4.83%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

37.28%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-2.65%

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

$256 $256

$96.4 ฿3,221

165.15%

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

$67.4 $67.4

$11.04 ฿369

510.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 $66.5

$17.14 ฿573

287.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 $64.9

$52.2 ฿1,744

24.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.37 $31.37

$11.16 ฿373

181.09%

Cinema Ticket

$20.22 $20.22

$7.81 ฿261

158.90%

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

$2,123 $2,123

$556 ฿18.6K

281.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.7K $26.7K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

130.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 $62.8

$64.2 ฿2,146

-2.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.82 $45.82

$28.69 ฿959

59.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$95.4 ฿3,187

5.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$88.0 ฿2,940

51.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,941 $2,941

$737 ฿24.6K

299.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 $1,972

$462 ฿15.5K

326.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,026 $5,026

$2,095 ฿70.0K

139.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,687 $3,687

$1,201 ฿40.1K

207.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,589 $8,589

$3,488 ฿116.6K

146.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,339 $7,339

$2,523 ฿84.3K

190.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,099 $4,099

$501 ฿16.7K

718.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

5.57

20.29%

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

Last update for Honolulu, HI: October 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Honolulu, HI

$2K 49.7%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 76.5% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Honolulu, HI

$716 18.1%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 62.5% $447

Eating Out

Honolulu, HI

$509 12.8%

Phuket

$121 10% 76.2% $387

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Honolulu, HI

$389 9.8%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 68% $265

Clothing & Footwear

Honolulu, HI

$154 3.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 19.4% $30

Getting Around

Honolulu, HI

$119 3%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 66.8% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Honolulu, HI

$105 2.7%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 35.7% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,941 in Honolulu, HI versus $737 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 run about 719% higher in Honolulu, HI, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $143 in Honolulu, HI versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $716 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Honolulu, HI

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

22:40 10:40 PM

17 h ahead of Honolulu, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

350,964

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Honolulu, HI Phuket 11,090 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Honolulu, HI
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

Honolulu, HI vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Honolulu, HI costs about 228% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,945 per month in Honolulu, HI and $1,813 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,963 in Honolulu, HI and $1,208 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 228%.

Public transport costs about 310% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Honolulu, HI at $3,963. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honolulu, HI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,208 versus $3,963 in Honolulu, HI. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Honolulu, HI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.