Cost of Living Comparison Between Huntington Beach, CA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Huntington Beach, CA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,503 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,808 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,114 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Huntington Beach, CA is roughly 178% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Huntington Beach, CA is 161% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.86 $19.86

$4.56 ฿149

335.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 $85.4

$46.63 ฿1,519

83.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$8.47 ฿276

42.86%

Cappuccino

$4.97 $4.97

$3.03 ฿98.6

64.03%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$0.69 ฿22.45

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.37 ฿11.92

451.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$2.49 ฿81.0

175.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 $8.07

$3.66 ฿119

120.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$2.18 ฿71.0

-45.41%

White Bread (500g)

$5.02 $5.02

$1.90 ฿62.0

164.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.20 ฿71.6

83.64%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$2.22 ฿72.4

123.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 $12.57

$19.99 ฿651

-37.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 $11.69

$3.66 ฿119

219.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.28 $14.28

$13.25 ฿432

7.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$3.23 ฿105

32.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.70 ฿55.3

8.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.39 ฿78.0

58.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.08 ฿67.7

162.02%

Potato (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.59 ฿51.8

183.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.48 ฿48.31

108.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.03 ฿33.54

73.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.52 ฿16.83

286.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.49 $9.49

$4.25 ฿138

123.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$18.79 ฿612

-20.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.76 ฿57.2

-1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.76 ฿89.8

64.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.36 ฿44.32

113.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.9 $50.9

$11.36 ฿370

347.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 $3.99

$3.14 ฿102

27.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.04 ฿33.74

165.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.92 $31.92

$13.77 ฿448

131.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.34 ฿43.79

-3.73%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-13.45%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-23.81%

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

$205 $205

$124 ฿4,025

65.75%

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

$55.3 $55.3

$13.52 ฿440

308.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$18.69 ฿609

288.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.45 $44.45

$61.8 ฿2,013

-28.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$14.23 $14.23

$9.14 ฿298

55.69%

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

$1,222 $1,222

$703 ฿22.9K

73.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.6K $39.6K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

149.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 $59.2

$59.5 ฿1,937

-0.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.54 $34.54

$35.07 ฿1,142

-1.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 $85.7

$115 ฿3,754

-25.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$84.1 ฿2,737

50.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,575 $2,575

$619 ฿20.1K

316.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 $2,184

$433 ฿14.1K

404.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,038 $5,038

$2,062 ฿67.2K

144.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,268 $5,268

$1,511 ฿49.2K

248.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,957 $7,957

$3,646 ฿118.7K

118.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,044 $5,044

$2,626 ฿85.5K

92.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,370 $5,370

$507 ฿16.5K

959.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.58

5.33

23.45%

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

Last update for Huntington Beach, CA: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,575 in Huntington Beach, CA and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Huntington Beach, CA pays 959% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Huntington Beach, CA vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Huntington Beach, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 178% lower than in Huntington Beach, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Huntington Beach, CA pays 959% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,575 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Huntington Beach, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $85.0 in Huntington Beach, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $3,503 in Huntington Beach, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Huntington Beach, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,261 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Huntington Beach, CA and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 178% less than in Huntington Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.