Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hue and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Hue: $490 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Hue
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Hue Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Hue

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$490

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $490 per month in Hue vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Hue $490
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $857 per month in Hue vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Hue $857
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $1,224 per month in Hue vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Hue $1,224
Phuket $2,867

Hue is about 59% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hue and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Hue 64% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.17 ₫30.3K

$4.58 ฿153

-74.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.33 ₫293.3K

$32.48 ฿1,086

-65.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.50 ₫90.5K

$8.55 ฿286

-59.06%

Cappuccino

$1.07 ₫27.7K

$2.72 ฿91.0

-60.66%

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

$0.58 ₫15.0K

$0.94 ฿31.25

-38.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,156

$0.49 ฿16.39

-34.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.79 ₫20.6K

$2.59 ฿86.6

-69.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₫31.8K

$3.83 ฿128

-67.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 ₫34.7K

$1.74 ฿58.1

-22.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 ₫20.3K

$1.43 ฿47.82

-45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₫19.9K

$1.53 ฿51.0

-49.67%

Eggs

$1.47 ₫38.1K

$2.17 ฿72.7

-32.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.84 ₫332.3K

$19.15 ฿640

-32.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.27 ₫110.6K

$3.30 ฿110

29.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ₫242.4K

$11.14 ฿372

-15.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 ₫65.2K

$2.95 ฿98.5

-14.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$1.68 ฿56.1

-37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$2.30 ฿76.8

-45.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 ₫17.0K

$2.13 ฿71.3

-69.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 ₫23.3K

$1.53 ฿51.1

-41.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 ₫28.9K

$1.36 ฿45.55

-17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ₫14.5K

$1.12 ฿37.44

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ₫10.6K

$0.55 ฿18.24

-25.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.36 ₫35.2K

$4.26 ฿142

-68.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 ₫201.5K

$18.19 ฿608

-57.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.74 ฿58.2

-56.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₫34.0K

$2.79 ฿93.3

-53.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₫7,880

$2.22 ฿74.1

-86.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.17 ₫185.6K

$22.06 ฿737

-67.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 ₫12.8K

$2.91 ฿97.3

-83.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₫15.6K

$1.01 ฿33.79

-40.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 ₫63.5K

$3.83 ฿128

-36.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 ₫22.2K

$1.49 ฿49.85

-42.28%

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

$30.9K ₫801.2M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

16.00%

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

$27.8K ₫720.4M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

4.18%

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

$38.36 ₫993.0K

$99.4 ฿3,321

-61.40%

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

$6.11 ₫158.1K

$11.28 ฿377

-45.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.09 ₫209.6K

$17.36 ฿580

-53.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.98 ₫1.0M

$52.3 ฿1,747

-25.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.55 ₫195.5K

$10.85 ฿362

-30.41%

Cinema Ticket

$3.13 ₫80.9K

$7.57 ฿253

-58.65%

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

$162 ₫4.2M

$558 ฿18.7K

-70.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,026 ₫233.7M

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-21.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.64 ₫793.4K

$62.9 ฿2,102

-51.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.76 ₫485.7K

$28.58 ฿955

-34.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.16 ₫1.0M

$96.1 ฿3,213

-59.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.30 ₫1.0M

$88.1 ฿2,943

-55.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$130 ₫3.4M

$729 ฿24.4K

-82.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$100 ₫2.6M

$460 ฿15.4K

-78.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₫13.6M

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-74.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₫9.3M

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-70.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,497 ₫38.7M

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-56.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,121 ₫29.0M

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-54.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$289 ₫7.5M

$493 ฿16.5K

-41.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

5.57

23.34%

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

Last update for Hue: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hue

$179 36.7%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 49.1% $88

Accommodation & Living

Hue

$100 20.5%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 359% $360

Clothing & Footwear

Hue

$58 11.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 116% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hue

$53 10.7%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 144% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Hue

$45 9.2%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 49.1% $22

Eating Out

Hue

$43 8.7%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 184% $79

Getting Around

Hue

$12 2.4%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 227% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $130 in Hue versus $729 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 71% higher in Phuket, 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 $11.00 in Hue versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $179 vs $268 – making Hue the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hue

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:47 3:47 PM

Same time as Hue

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,166,500

79,308

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hue Phuket 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hue
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

Hue vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 147%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $734 per month in Hue and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 208% less in Hue. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $162 per month in Hue and $558 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 Hue, where all-in costs run around $490, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Hue it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Hue. 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.