Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hillcrest Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hillcrest

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $1,110 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $1,730 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $2,350 in Hillcrest, rent included.

Phuket costs about 11% more than Hillcrest, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Hillcrest are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Hillcrest 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$7.64 R 124

-42.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$38.61 R 627

-16.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$6.32 R 103

41.30%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.86 R 46.49

1.40%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.18 R 19.09

-25.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.87 R 14.19

-44.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.56 R 41.55

-8.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.73 R 44.40

36.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.29 R 20.98

44.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.01 R 16.42

45.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.62 R 26.25

-4.32%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.45 R 39.85

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$8.34 R 135

134.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.34 R 86.8

-35.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$7.14 R 116

59.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$1.27 R 20.67

134.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.90 R 30.86

-11.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.97 R 31.97

12.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.66 R 26.91

30.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.54 R 24.95

-1.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.45 R 23.58

-7.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$1.21 R 19.71

-6.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$1.19 R 19.41

-53.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.69 R 59.9

15.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$4.98 R 80.9

283.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.52 R 24.72

17.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.00 R 32.45

39.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$1.52 R 24.77

46.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.45 R 7.38

573.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.77 R 12.52

32.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$7.77 R 126

-49.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.49 R 24.13

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$37.2K R 604.1K

-28.52%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$33.2K R 539.4K

-18.59%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$143 R 2,326

-28.41%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$35.30 R 574

-67.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$40.45 R 657

-56.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$32.69 R 531

59.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$6.92 R 112

11.13%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$330 R 5,358

70.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$7,825 R 127.1K

47.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$56.8 R 922

11.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$30.12 R 489

-1.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$99.7 R 1,620

-1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$88.7 R 1,440

-0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$436 R 7,077

69.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$382 R 6,204

26.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$800 R 13.0K

163.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$759 R 12.3K

61.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$888 R 14.4K

307.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$701 R 11.4K

271.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.81

-52.84%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Hillcrest: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $436 in Hillcrest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $39.00 in Hillcrest. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Phuket vs $195 in Hillcrest – so Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,232 in Phuket, $1,110 in Hillcrest – roughly 11% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,664 in Hillcrest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hillcrest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $39.00 in Hillcrest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% 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 Hillcrest, where all-in costs run around $1,110, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Hillcrest 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 $1,110 in Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest. 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.