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: $3,515 in Kahului, HI versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,959 in Kahului, HI versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,404 in Kahului, HI versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Kahului, HI is roughly 181% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kahului, HI is 163% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.05 $19.05

$4.55 ฿153

318.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$46.18 ฿1,554

75.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.46 $15.46

$8.84 ฿298

74.89%

Cappuccino

$7.12 $7.12

$3.06 ฿103

132.68%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$0.73 ฿24.42

297.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$0.40 ฿13.40

787.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 $7.16

$2.43 ฿81.8

194.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 $7.69

$3.78 ฿127

103.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.26 ฿76.0

-26.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.81 ฿60.9

93.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.25 ฿75.8

91.56%

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$2.25 ฿75.6

89.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 $12.48

$19.51 ฿656

-36.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$3.65 ฿123

203.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 $15.65

$13.05 ฿439

19.92%

Apples (1kg)

$8.76 $8.76

$3.23 ฿109

171.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.62 ฿54.4

0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.38 ฿80.2

82.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.75 $8.75

$2.03 ฿68.2

331.03%

Potato (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$1.53 ฿51.6

334.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.50 ฿50.5

92.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 $2.98

$0.98 ฿32.93

204.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.52 ฿17.40

203.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.36 $9.36

$4.44 ฿149

110.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.86 ฿62.7

-3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.68 ฿90.2

46.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.41 ฿47.49

43.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.78 $45.78

$11.70 ฿394

291.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.11 ฿105

10.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.04 ฿35.08

54.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.71 $29.71

$14.11 ฿475

110.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.31 ฿44.13

-5.34%

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

$39.4K $39.4K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

41.72%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-21.86%

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

$219 $219

$122 ฿4,120

78.98%

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

$80.8 $80.8

$13.59 ฿457

494.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.3 $55.3

$18.70 ฿629

195.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.18 $42.18

$60.5 ฿2,035

-30.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 $13.06

$9.07 ฿305

43.99%

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

$1,297 $1,297

$706 ฿23.8K

83.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

49.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.32 $38.32

$58.6 ฿1,970

-34.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.13 $25.13

$35.36 ฿1,190

-28.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 $64.4

$115 ฿3,885

-44.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$83.7 ฿2,818

24.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,536 $2,536

$626 ฿21.1K

305.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,116 $2,116

$445 ฿15.0K

375.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,538 $3,538

$2,040 ฿68.7K

73.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,501 $3,501

$1,492 ฿50.2K

134.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K $11.8K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

238.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.6K $11.6K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

349.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,719 $4,719

$500 ฿16.8K

844.08%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,536 in Kahului, HI and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kahului, HI pays 844% 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: $81.0 in Kahului, HI vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $289 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 181% 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.

Average pay runs 844% higher in Kahului, HI, 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: $2,536 in Kahului, HI versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,297 in Kahului, HI versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Kahului, HI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $3,515 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 $1,250 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 181% less than in Kahului, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.