Cost of Living Comparison Between Kahului, HI and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kahului, HI and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,568 in Kahului, HI versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,090 in Kahului, HI versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,611 in Kahului, HI versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Kahului, HI is roughly 182% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kahului, HI is 166% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.17 $19.17

$4.70 ฿153

307.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$45.37 ฿1,482

74.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.48 $15.48

$8.43 ฿275

83.63%

Cappuccino

$7.17 $7.17

$2.93 ฿95.6

144.71%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$0.69 ฿22.40

326.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$0.37 ฿11.99

859.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.20 $7.20

$2.41 ฿78.6

198.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 $7.63

$3.72 ฿122

105.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.23 ฿72.9

-25.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.83 ฿59.8

88.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.17 ฿70.8

99.54%

Eggs

$4.07 $4.07

$2.21 ฿72.3

84.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.45 $12.45

$19.74 ฿645

-36.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.09 $11.09

$3.63 ฿119

205.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 $15.42

$13.53 ฿442

13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$8.93 $8.93

$3.28 ฿107

172.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.61 ฿52.6

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.41 ฿78.6

73.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.57 $8.57

$2.08 ฿68.1

312.02%

Potato (1kg)

$6.67 $6.67

$1.53 ฿49.93

335.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.48 ฿48.36

96.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.99 ฿32.29

208.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.51 ฿16.67

207.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 $9.47

$4.41 ฿144

114.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 $14.10

$19.38 ฿633

-27.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.78 ฿58.1

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.71 ฿88.6

50.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.37 ฿44.79

45.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.88 $44.88

$11.39 ฿372

294.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.02 ฿98.6

12.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.99 ฿32.48

65.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.16 $29.16

$14.10 ฿461

106.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.36 ฿44.51

-8.09%

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

$39.2K $39.2K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

39.17%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-20.05%

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

$214 $214

$122 ฿3,975

75.97%

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

$78.4 $78.4

$13.57 ฿443

477.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 $54.1

$18.31 ฿598

195.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.74 $42.74

$60.2 ฿1,967

-29.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 $12.80

$8.69 ฿284

47.30%

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

$1,321 $1,321

$693 ฿22.6K

90.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

48.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.80 $38.80

$59.5 ฿1,944

-34.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.19 $25.19

$34.77 ฿1,136

-27.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.1 $66.1

$115 ฿3,743

-42.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$83.3 ฿2,720

27.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 $2,454

$613 ฿20.0K

300.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,113 $2,113

$437 ฿14.3K

383.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 $3,481

$2,094 ฿68.4K

66.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,455 $3,455

$1,509 ฿49.3K

128.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,720 $2,720

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-27.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,391 $2,391

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-8.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,675 $4,675

$508 ฿16.6K

820.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.33

22.14%

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

Last update for Kahului, HI: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,454 in Kahului, HI and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kahului, HI pays 820% 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: $79.0 in Kahului, HI vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $440 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

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

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 182% lower than in Kahului, HI. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Kahului, HI pays 820% 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: $2,454 in Kahului, HI versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,321 in Kahului, HI versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Kahului, HI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,568 in Kahului, HI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kahului, HI. 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 $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kahului, HI 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 182% less than in Kahului, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.