Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and El Progreso

For one person, living is cheaper in El Progreso: $144 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

El Progreso

🇭🇳 Honduras

$144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in El Progreso

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $144 in El Progreso.

Phuket $1,278
El Progreso $144

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $283 in El Progreso.

Phuket $2,216
El Progreso $283

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $422 in El Progreso.

Phuket $3,154
El Progreso $422

Living in Phuket is roughly 788% more expensive than in El Progreso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, El Progreso 89% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$4.89 HNL 131

-8.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$24.46 HNL 657

32.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.89 HNL 212

11.66%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$1.51 HNL 40.69

87.42%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.88 HNL 23.77

-1.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.97 HNL 26.03

-49.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$1.45 HNL 38.96

76.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.02 HNL 54.2

82.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.25 HNL 33.66

32.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.07 HNL 28.82

40.19%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.58 HNL 42.36

32.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.49 HNL 39.91

13.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.54 HNL 41.49

-10.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.62 HNL 70.5

60.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.29 HNL 34.65

41.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.36 HNL 36.43

108.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for El Progreso: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

El Progreso

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

El Progreso

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

El Progreso

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

El Progreso

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

El Progreso

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

El Progreso

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

El Progreso

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $24 in El Progreso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $44 per month, with El Progreso cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇭🇳 El Progreso

🕒 Local time

18:55 6:55 PM

05:55 5:55 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

100,810

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Honduran Lempira HNL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 HNL = 3.72 USD

100 HNL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HNL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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).

Honduran Lempira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 26.87 HNL (100 HNL = 3.72 USD). 1 EUR = 29.9 HNL (100 HNL = 3.34 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket El Progreso 17,340 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
El Progreso

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

Phuket vs El Progreso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Progreso is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. The 788% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $216 in El Progreso 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 501% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in El Progreso – a meal for two runs $24 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $144 in El Progreso versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in El Progreso but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes El Progreso 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.