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: $2,527 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,714 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,900 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Kauai, Hawaii is roughly 99% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kauai, Hawaii is 89% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 $18.98

$4.66 ฿150

307.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$46.44 ฿1,496

62.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 $10.84

$8.68 ฿280

24.88%

Cappuccino

$5.05 $5.05

$2.95 ฿95.0

71.19%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$0.70 ฿22.52

271.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.39 ฿12.70

423.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$2.53 ฿81.6

131.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 $7.07

$3.78 ฿122

87.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.22 ฿71.5

-54.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.80 ฿57.8

97.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.19 ฿70.4

100.46%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$2.31 ฿74.5

77.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.02 $12.02

$19.34 ฿623

-37.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 $11.36

$3.77 ฿121

201.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 $15.66

$13.22 ฿426

18.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.33 ฿107

45.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.65 ฿53.1

-2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$2.29 ฿73.7

84.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$1.99 ฿64.1

132.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.53 ฿49.24

83.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.51 ฿48.77

84.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.03 ฿33.12

105.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.51 ฿16.57

309.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.38 $9.38

$4.41 ฿142

112.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 $13.84

$19.41 ฿625

-28.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.80 ฿58.0

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.68 ฿86.4

26.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.43 ฿46.11

38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.04 ฿97.9

16.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.04 ฿33.37

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.87 $28.87

$13.68 ฿441

111.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.30 ฿41.85

-35.38%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

7.69%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-21.26%

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

$184 $184

$123 ฿3,962

49.48%

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

$52.2 $52.2

$13.82 ฿445

277.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$18.86 ฿608

260.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.69 $42.69

$61.2 ฿1,970

-30.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$13.32 $13.32

$8.87 ฿286

50.17%

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

$1,288 $1,288

$696 ฿22.4K

84.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

48.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 $51.9

$59.3 ฿1,910

-12.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 $39.82

$34.85 ฿1,123

14.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 $86.8

$113 ฿3,646

-23.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$85.1 ฿2,740

30.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 $1,571

$615 ฿19.8K

155.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 $1,371

$448 ฿14.4K

205.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 $2,602

$2,085 ฿67.2K

24.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,190 $2,190

$1,496 ฿48.2K

46.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,728 $2,728

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-26.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,465 $2,465

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-7.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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 Kauai, Hawaii: April 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,571 in Kauai, Hawaii and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75 in Kauai, Hawaii vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $291 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 99% 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 $3,791 in Kauai, Hawaii and $1,904 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: $1,571 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Kauai, Hawaii. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,527 per month in Kauai, Hawaii versus $1,270 in Phuket – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,527 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 $1,270 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 99% less than in Kauai, Hawaii. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.