Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hawassa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hawassa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $823 in Hawassa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $1,195 in Hawassa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $1,567 in Hawassa, rent included.

Phuket costs about 50% more than Hawassa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Phuket and Hawassa are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Hawassa 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.01 ETB 645

9.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$42.04 ETB 6,754

-23.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.38 ETB 1,026

39.97%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$0.91 ETB 146

218.68%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.62 ETB 100

41.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.68 ETB 109

-29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$0.79 ETB 127

197.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.23 ETB 359

66.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.06 ETB 170

76.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.21 ETB 194

21.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.03 ETB 165

50.49%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.54 ETB 247

36.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.22 ETB 1,160

171.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.91 ETB 1,593

-65.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$9.30 ETB 1,493

22.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.31 ETB 853

-43.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.69 ETB 110

143.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.20 ETB 353

0.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.70 ETB 112

208.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.50 ETB 80.7

204.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.10 ETB 176

21.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.68 ETB 110

66.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.57 ETB 92.4

-3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$7.89 ETB 1,267

-46.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$5.74 ETB 922

232.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.66 ETB 106

169.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.23 ETB 198

126.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.29 ETB 208

134.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.29 ETB 46.75

251.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$2.03 ETB 326

91.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.97 ETB 156

53.61%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$55.1K ETB 8.9M

-51.76%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$54.6K ETB 8.8M

-50.52%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$203 ETB 32.7K

-49.61%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$7.42 ETB 1,191

52.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$210 ETB 33.7K

-91.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.68 ETB 592

108.97%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$134 ETB 21.6K

317.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$30.4K ETB 4.9M

-62.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$33.25 ETB 5,342

89.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$71.7 ETB 11.5K

-58.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$78.8 ETB 12.7K

24.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$83.8 ETB 13.5K

5.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$497 ETB 79.9K

423.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

18.5

-69.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Hawassa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $42.00 in Hawassa. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Phuket vs $206 in Hawassa – so Hawassa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Hawassa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,232 in Phuket, $823 in Hawassa – roughly 50% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,234 in Hawassa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $42.00 in Hawassa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hawassa, where all-in costs run around $823, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Hawassa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $823 in Hawassa to $1,232 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hawassa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.