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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $823 in Hawassa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,230 in Hawassa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $1,637 in Hawassa, rent included.

Phuket costs about 54% more than Hawassa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Phuket and Hawassa are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Hawassa 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.46 ETB 713

0.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$34.65 ETB 5,534

31.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.53 ETB 1,044

34.15%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.28 ETB 205

132.03%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.64 ETB 103

7.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.44 ETB 69.8

-11.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.02 ETB 163

148.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.06 ETB 488

22.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.39 ETB 223

54.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.33 ETB 213

36.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.99 ETB 158

120.20%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.58 ETB 253

42.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.01 ETB 1,119

185.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$13.95 ETB 2,227

-73.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$13.27 ETB 2,118

2.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$6.81 ETB 1,088

-52.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.03 ETB 165

59.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.28 ETB 364

2.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.00 ETB 159

107.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.63 ETB 100

146.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.91 ETB 306

-23.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.70 ETB 112

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.63 ETB 101

-23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.88 ETB 620

12.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$5.46 ETB 871

240.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.00 ETB 159

86.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.92 ETB 307

38.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.50 ETB 240

111.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.27 ETB 42.71

281.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.97 ETB 314

605.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.30 ETB 208

3.08%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$54.3K ETB 8.7M

-48.81%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$54.5K ETB 8.7M

-38.76%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$156 ETB 25.0K

-21.35%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$11.85 ETB 1,892

16.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$130 ETB 20.7K

-85.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.61 ETB 895

58.11%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$82.5 ETB 13.2K

733.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$40.7K ETB 6.5M

-61.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$47.78 ETB 7,630

24.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$76.7 ETB 12.2K

-54.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$93.3 ETB 14.9K

23.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$113 ETB 18.0K

-25.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$501 ETB 80.0K

405.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Hawassa: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $35.00 in Hawassa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 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: $1,264 in Phuket, $823 in Hawassa – roughly 54% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 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 $46.00 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 $823, than in Phuket at $1,264. 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 $1,264 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.