😐A single person spends $1,428 per month in Hormigueros vs $1,250 in Phuket, rent included.
🙂A couple spends around $2,143 per month in Hormigueros vs $2,284 in Phuket, rent included.
🙂A family of three spends $2,857 per month in Hormigueros vs $3,317 in Phuket, rent included.
😐Hormigueros costs about 14% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊Hormigueros sits 7% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hormigueros
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.76$18.76
$4.55฿153
312.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.8$80.8
$46.18฿1,550
74.86%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.53$9.53
$8.84฿297
7.81%
Cappuccino
$3.61$3.61
$3.06฿103
17.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78$1.78
$0.73฿24.36
143.84%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38$1.38
$0.40฿13.37
245.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.95$2.95
$2.43฿81.6
21.40%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38$4.38
$3.78฿127
15.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hormigueros
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.48$2.48
$2.26฿75.8
9.73%
White Bread(500g)
$3.56$3.56
$1.81฿60.8
96.69%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.21$2.21
$2.25฿75.7
-1.78%
Eggs
$6.04$6.04
$2.25฿75.4
168.44%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.71$8.71
$19.51฿655
-55.36%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.27$8.27
$3.65฿122
126.58%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$12.86$12.86
$13.05฿438
-1.46%
Apples(1kg)
$6.00$6.00
$3.23฿109
85.76%
Banana(1kg)
$2.70$2.70
$1.62฿54.3
66.67%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.80$3.80
$2.38฿80.0
59.66%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.97$3.97
$2.03฿68.0
95.57%
Potato(1kg)
$3.88$3.88
$1.53฿51.5
153.59%
Onion(1kg)
$2.97$2.97
$1.50฿50.4
98.00%
Lettuce(1 head)
$3.08$3.08
$0.98฿32.85
214.29%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.97$1.97
$0.52฿17.36
278.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$11.86$11.86
$4.44฿149
167.12%
Wine(Bottle)
$15.90$15.90
$18.32฿615
-13.21%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.58$2.58
$1.86฿62.6
38.71%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13$3.13
$2.68฿90.0
16.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Hormigueros
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
-
$1.41฿47.37
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$11.70฿393
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
-
$3.11฿104
-
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.54$1.54
$1.04฿35.00
48.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$15.04$15.04
$14.11฿474
6.59%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.00$1.00
$1.31฿44.02
-23.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.3K$36.3K
$27.8K฿933.8K
30.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K$26.5K
$33.2K฿1.1M
-20.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hormigueros
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$496$496
$122฿4,110
305.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$79.9$79.9
$13.59฿456
487.86%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.9$74.9
$18.70฿628
300.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hormigueros
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
-
$60.5฿2,031
-
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.98฿570
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.11$12.11
$9.07฿305
33.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hormigueros
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$473$473
$706฿23.7K
-32.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$10.2K$10.2K
$15.8K฿530.5K
-35.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hormigueros
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.50$45.50
$58.6฿1,965
-22.29%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.7$55.7
$35.36฿1,187
57.49%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$92.4$92.4
$115฿3,876
-19.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104$104
$83.7฿2,811
24.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hormigueros
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$626฿21.0K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$445฿14.9K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,785$1,785
$2,040฿68.5K
-12.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$1,492฿50.1K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,483฿116.9K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,577฿86.5K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hormigueros
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$500฿16.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.71
5.33
7.13%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Hormigueros: July 14, 2026
Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🛒A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Hormigueros versus $46.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $289 – making Phuket 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
Hormigueros vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Hormigueros or Phuket?
Hormigueros costs about 14% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Hormigueros and in Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,143 per month in Hormigueros and $1,875 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do dining costs compare in Hormigueros and in Phuket?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Hormigueros and $46.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Hormigueros or in Phuket?
Groceries cost about 33% more in Hormigueros, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Hormigueros or in Phuket?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Hormigueros at $1,428. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hormigueros it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Hormigueros or Phuket?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,250 versus $1,428 in Hormigueros. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Hormigueros compared to Phuket?
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.
Should I move to Hormigueros or to Phuket?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hormigueros makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.
Hormigueros vs other spots: cost of living compared