Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kauai, Hawaii and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,605 in Kauai, Hawaii, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Kauai, Hawaii
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Kauai, Hawaii Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Kauai, Hawaii

🇺🇸 United States

$2,605

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kauai, Hawaii and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kauai, Hawaii and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,605 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Kauai, Hawaii $2,605
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,851 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Kauai, Hawaii $3,851
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,097 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Kauai, Hawaii $5,097
Phuket $3,154

Living in Kauai, Hawaii is roughly 104% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kauai, Hawaii is 91% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 $19.36

$4.47 ฿151

333.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 $75.8

$32.41 ฿1,094

133.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 $10.98

$8.81 ฿297

24.63%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$2.83 ฿95.5

74.91%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$0.87 ฿29.43

190.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.49 ฿16.67

297.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 $6.07

$2.56 ฿86.4

137.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 $6.97

$3.68 ฿124

89.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.66 ฿56.0

-40.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.46 ฿49.35

138.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$1.50 ฿50.6

184.67%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$2.09 ฿70.5

95.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.44 $12.44

$19.07 ฿644

-34.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.49 $11.49

$3.30 ฿111

248.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 $15.60

$10.91 ฿368

42.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.93 ฿99.0

62.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.69 ฿57.1

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.25 ฿75.8

93.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$2.08 ฿70.1

120.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.51 ฿51.0

90.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.38 ฿46.56

109.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.07 ฿35.99

86.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.52 ฿17.52

317.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 $9.47

$4.20 ฿142

125.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 $13.83

$18.79 ฿634

-26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.82 ฿61.5

-2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.84 ฿95.9

21.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.45 ฿49.03

42.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.5 $55.5

$56.7 ฿1,913

-2.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.02 ฿102

17.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.02 ฿34.36

53.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.13 $29.13

$3.69 ฿125

689.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.47 ฿49.81

-42.86%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

9.36%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-2.84%

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

$185 $185

$96.4 ฿3,254

91.67%

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

$53.9 $53.9

$11.26 ฿380

378.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$16.85 ฿569

304.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.26 $43.26

$67.2 ฿2,270

-35.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 $13.53

$7.50 ฿253

80.40%

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

$1,282 $1,282

$476 ฿16.1K

169.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

105.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$62.4 ฿2,106

-19.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.37 $39.37

$28.41 ฿959

38.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 $85.0

$94.3 ฿3,184

-9.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$85.8 ฿2,898

30.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,605 $1,605

$716 ฿24.2K

124.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 $1,329

$491 ฿16.6K

170.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,647 $2,647

$1,927 ฿65.1K

37.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 $2,266

$1,431 ฿48.3K

58.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,817 $2,817

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-32.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-18.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Kauai, Hawaii

$1.3K 51%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 63% $838

Groceries & Markets

Kauai, Hawaii

$385 14.8%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 30.9% $119

Eating Out

Kauai, Hawaii

$309 11.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 60.7% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kauai, Hawaii

$307 11.8%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 59.4% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Kauai, Hawaii

$129 5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 5.6% $7.2

Getting Around

Kauai, Hawaii

$75 2.9%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 6% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Kauai, Hawaii

$70 2.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 16.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,605 in Kauai, Hawaii and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76 in Kauai, Hawaii vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kauai, Hawaii

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

01:52 1:52 AM

18:52 6:52 PM

17 h ahead of Kauai, Hawaii

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,610

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kauai, Hawaii Phuket 10,910 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Kauai, Hawaii
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 51% 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 $3,907 in Kauai, Hawaii and $1,917 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: $1,605 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Kauai, Hawaii. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,605 per month in Kauai, Hawaii versus $1,278 in Phuket – a 104% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,605 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.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kauai, Hawaii, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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.