Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Haikou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Haikou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $771 in Haikou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,184 in Haikou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,598 in Haikou.

Living in Phuket is roughly 60% more expensive than Haikou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Haikou 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.44 ¥16.72

89.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$24.48 ¥168

91.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.11 ¥35.02

72.99%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.91 ¥19.90

3.09%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.45 ¥3.08

64.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.33 ¥2.27

12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.38 ¥9.43

76.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.62 ¥24.83

-0.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.84 ¥12.58

22.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.38 ¥9.45

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.85 ¥5.82

163.53%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.94 ¥13.27

19.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$12.63 ¥86.5

55.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.63 ¥38.55

-35.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$15.12 ¥104

-13.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$0.82 ¥5.60

313.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.88 ¥6.00

86.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.41 ¥2.80

487.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.94 ¥6.47

115.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.76 ¥5.20

105.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.68 ¥4.65

120.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.27 ¥1.84

277.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.49 ¥3.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.91 ¥19.93

52.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.06 ¥68.9

87.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.74 ¥5.10

140.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.64 ¥11.25

67.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.27 ¥1.84

418.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$16.47 ¥113

-30.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.83 ¥19.40

10.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.35 ¥2.41

185.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.61 ¥45.29

113.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.15 ¥7.90

17.39%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.7K ¥141.8K

31.36%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.3K ¥112.0K

101.42%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$34.36 ¥235

263.74%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.95 ¥95.5

-2.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$8.20 ¥56.2

125.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$32.30 ¥221

90.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$5.99 ¥41.01

181.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.44 ¥37.29

68.93%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$329 ¥2,252

112.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$28.1K ¥192.3K

-44.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$41.84 ¥287

38.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$41.81 ¥286

-15.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$42.15 ¥289

168.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$34.97 ¥240

147.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$354 ¥2,428

73.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$280 ¥1,918

59.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$544 ¥3,723

276.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$470 ¥3,220

217.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$3,174 ¥21.7K

19.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$2,113 ¥14.5K

25.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$694 ¥4,752

-24.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.85

9.90%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Haikou: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $354 in Haikou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Haikou pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Haikou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $208 per month, with Haikou 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 Haikou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Haikou differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $771 including rent). Haikou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Haikou earns 32% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $354 in Haikou. 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 $771 in Haikou – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Haikou runs roughly 43% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $771 in Haikou versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Haikou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Haikou 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 Haikou 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 Haikou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.