Cost of Living Comparison Between Kauai, Hawaii and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kauai, Hawaii and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,528 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,699 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,870 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Kauai, Hawaii is roughly 100% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kauai, Hawaii is 83% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 $18.80

$4.66 ฿154

303.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.5 $76.5

$32.22 ฿1,065

137.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 $10.83

$8.68 ฿287

24.77%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$2.90 ฿95.8

76.90%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$0.84 ฿27.89

205.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.49 ฿16.16

297.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 $6.06

$2.48 ฿82.0

144.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.73 ฿123

90.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.89 ฿62.3

-44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.41 ฿46.54

153.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$1.62 ฿53.6

173.46%

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$2.24 ฿74.1

90.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 $12.46

$19.84 ฿656

-37.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 $11.33

$3.48 ฿115

225.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.64 $15.64

$11.37 ฿376

37.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.90 ฿95.8

69.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.72 ฿57.0

-4.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$2.27 ฿75.1

85.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.13 ฿70.4

122.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.47 ฿48.72

91.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.42 ฿46.92

94.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.10 ฿36.25

84.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.60 ฿19.76

258.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.45 $9.45

$4.31 ฿142

119.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.73 $13.73

$18.60 ฿615

-26.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.80 ฿59.5

-2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.97 ฿98.0

10.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.25 ฿74.2

-8.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.10 ฿102

11.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.08 ฿35.56

53.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.46 $29.46

$3.87 ฿128

661.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.43 ฿47.16

-36.36%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

7.11%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-5.92%

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

$190 $190

$105 ฿3,462

81.16%

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

$53.4 $53.4

$11.39 ฿376

368.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$17.54 ฿580

288.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.58 $43.58

$54.3 ฿1,795

-19.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$13.43 $13.43

$7.78 ฿257

72.62%

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

$1,289 $1,289

$576 ฿19.0K

123.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

100.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 $50.7

$63.6 ฿2,103

-20.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 $39.43

$29.10 ฿961

35.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 $88.3

$96.2 ฿3,179

-8.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$90.0 ฿2,974

25.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 $1,576

$733 ฿24.2K

114.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 $1,346

$501 ฿16.5K

168.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,605 $2,605

$2,126 ฿70.2K

22.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,224 $2,224

$1,252 ฿41.4K

77.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,772 $2,772

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-21.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 $2,489

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-5.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.57

16.88%

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

Last update for Kauai, Hawaii: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,576 in Kauai, Hawaii and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in Kauai, Hawaii vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $275 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

Kauai, Hawaii vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 100% lower than in Kauai, Hawaii. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,792 in Kauai, Hawaii and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,576 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Kauai, Hawaii. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,528 per month in Kauai, Hawaii versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,528 in Kauai, Hawaii, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kauai, Hawaii. 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, Kauai, Hawaii 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 100% less than in Kauai, Hawaii. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.