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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $1,331 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,866 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $2,402 in Hillcrest, rent included.

Phuket is about 5% cheaper than Hillcrest, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Hillcrest are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Hillcrest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$7.60 R 123

-40.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$27.98 R 452

66.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.98 R 80.5

70.08%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.90 R 30.80

59.47%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.87 R 14.02

-20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.67 R 10.91

-44.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.95 R 31.52

27.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.30 R 37.26

59.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.86 R 13.94

153.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.58 R 9.31

227.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.16 R 18.83

89.66%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.20 R 35.63

0.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.20 R 116

177.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.87 R 62.6

-5.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$6.31 R 102

109.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.40 R 22.59

130.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.14 R 18.48

49.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.37 R 22.22

74.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.31 R 21.25

58.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.28 R 20.68

24.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.23 R 19.93

20.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.02 R 16.51

0.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.80 R 12.99

-35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.73 R 44.14

55.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$4.81 R 77.8

290.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.45 R 23.44

21.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.69 R 27.31

63.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.68 R 27.13

-19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.72 R 27.82

82.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.61 R 9.91

70.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.55 R 106

110.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.28 R 20.64

4.69%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$20.0K R 323.5K

38.33%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$24.1K R 390.4K

40.23%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$143 R 2,305

-13.32%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$28.87 R 467

-53.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$34.08 R 551

-45.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$30.93 R 500

99.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.60 R 107

38.48%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$206 R 3,323

241.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,576 R 74.0K

246.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$42.77 R 691

39.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$30.52 R 493

14.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$95.4 R 1,542

20.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$74.1 R 1,198

13.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$365 R 5,900

69.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$681 R 11.0K

-36.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$690 R 11.2K

198.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,142 R 18.5K

32.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$969 R 15.7K

276.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$674 R 10.9K

289.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.01

-55.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Hillcrest: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $365 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $28.00 in Hillcrest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $154 – making Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,261 in Phuket, $1,331 in Hillcrest – roughly 6% apart. Hillcrest costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $1,996 in Hillcrest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, 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 $47.00 in Phuket and $28.00 in Hillcrest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 90% cheaper in Hillcrest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,261, than in Hillcrest at $1,331. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hillcrest 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 $1,261 in Phuket to $1,331 in Hillcrest. 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 Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hillcrest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.