Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dong Hoi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dong Hoi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $686 in Dong Hoi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,048 in Dong Hoi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,410 in Dong Hoi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 80% more expensive than Dong Hoi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Dong Hoi 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$1.12 ₫29.3K

313.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$11.61 ₫304.6K

303.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.60 ₫120.6K

92.17%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.38 ₫36.1K

117.39%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.54 ₫14.2K

37.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.29 ₫7,514

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$0.79 ₫20.7K

208.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.16 ₫30.4K

211.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.39 ₫36.4K

62.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.85 ₫22.3K

116.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.11 ₫29.2K

101.80%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.40 ₫36.7K

65.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$12.64 ₫331.7K

55.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.47 ₫91.1K

5.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.68 ₫253.9K

35.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.64 ₫69.3K

28.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.99 ₫25.9K

65.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.13 ₫29.6K

113.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.10 ₫28.9K

84.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.14 ₫29.9K

36.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.22 ₫31.9K

22.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.05 ₫27.5K

-2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.51 ₫13.4K

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.31 ₫34.5K

239.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.64 ₫200.4K

147.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.82 ₫21.5K

117.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.60 ₫42.0K

71.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.32 ₫8,280

337.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$6.41 ₫168.1K

79.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.84 ₫22.1K

271.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.75 ₫19.6K

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.75 ₫72.2K

412.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.92 ₫24.2K

46.74%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$27.1K ₫710.3M

0.40%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.3K ₫742.4M

16.34%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$65.6 ₫1.7M

90.43%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$5.98 ₫156.8K

126.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$8.19 ₫214.8K

126.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$21.81 ₫572.2K

181.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$7.47 ₫195.9K

125.44%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.16 ₫82.9K

190.82%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$155 ₫4.1M

351.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$12.7K ₫332.2M

23.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$39.87 ₫1.0M

44.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$25.82 ₫677.5K

36.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$52.4 ₫1.4M

116.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$76.1 ₫2.0M

13.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$360 ₫9.5M

70.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$251 ₫6.6M

77.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$694 ₫18.2M

195.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$474 ₫12.4M

214.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,939 ₫77.1M

28.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,604 ₫42.1M

65.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$398 ₫10.4M

31.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-23.86%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Dong Hoi: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $360 in Dong Hoi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 32% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Dong Hoi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $185 per month, with Dong Hoi 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

Phuket vs Dong Hoi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Dong Hoi differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $686 including rent). Dong Hoi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 32% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $360 in Dong Hoi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $686 in Dong Hoi – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dong Hoi runs roughly 79% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $686 in Dong Hoi versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dong Hoi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Dong Hoi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Dong Hoi 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 Dong Hoi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.