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 $822 in Hawassa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,230 in Hawassa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $1,638 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 8% lower, Hawassa 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.41 ETB 689

4.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$35.09 ETB 5,484

33.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.58 ETB 1,029

34.35%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.23 ETB 193

143.90%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.64 ETB 100

15.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.43 ETB 67.5

-13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.02 ETB 160

139.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.97 ETB 464

21.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.39 ETB 218

62.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.34 ETB 209

37.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.03 ETB 161

117.48%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.60 ETB 251

45.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.21 ETB 1,127

172.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$13.92 ETB 2,175

-73.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$13.28 ETB 2,075

-1.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$6.76 ETB 1,057

-49.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.97 ETB 152

69.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.16 ETB 338

11.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.90 ETB 141

125.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.67 ETB 105

132.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.91 ETB 299

-21.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.68 ETB 107

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.63 ETB 98.1

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.02 ETB 629

10.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$5.76 ETB 900

227.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.00 ETB 156

78.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.84 ETB 288

49.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.49 ETB 233

109.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.27 ETB 42.05

270.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.05 ETB 320

587.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.24 ETB 194

8.87%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$55.1K ETB 8.6M

-50.68%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$53.0K ETB 8.3M

-37.89%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$158 ETB 24.7K

-20.92%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$11.98 ETB 1,872

13.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$131 ETB 20.5K

-85.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.54 ETB 866

65.88%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$81.7 ETB 12.8K

755.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$40.9K ETB 6.4M

-61.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$47.79 ETB 7,470

20.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$75.0 ETB 11.7K

-52.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$92.5 ETB 14.5K

22.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$116 ETB 18.2K

-25.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$503 ETB 78.5K

427.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-68.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hawassa: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $35.00 in Hawassa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $258 – making Hawassa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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, $822 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 $1,232 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 $47.00 in Phuket and $35.00 in Hawassa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% 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 $822, 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 $822 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.