Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Howick Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Howick

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,096 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,704 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,312 in Howick.

Living in Phuket is roughly 15% more expensive than in Howick, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Howick 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$7.61 R 122

-38.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,059

$39.44 R 631

-18.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿285

$5.68 R 90.8

52.82%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.3

$2.85 R 45.55

1.75%

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

$0.84 ฿27.75

$1.13 R 18.10

-25.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.95 R 15.15

-48.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.6

$2.57 R 41.15

-3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.60 R 41.65

43.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.0

$1.25 R 20.06

51.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.31

$1.07 R 17.12

31.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.3

$1.56 R 25.02

3.85%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.7

$2.46 R 39.39

-8.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿652

$8.59 R 137

130.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$5.35 R 85.6

-34.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿374

$7.24 R 116

57.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.3

$2.00 R 32.05

45.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.7

$1.99 R 31.77

-13.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.7

$2.05 R 32.80

10.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.1

$1.72 R 27.47

23.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.49

$1.60 R 25.53

-8.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.69

$1.46 R 23.29

-2.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.08

$1.26 R 20.15

-12.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.66

$1.24 R 19.83

-51.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.82 R 61.2

12.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿612

$5.01 R 80.2

271.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.2

$1.52 R 24.37

18.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.5

$1.98 R 31.76

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.8

$1.65 R 26.43

36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿772

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.49 R 7.88

532.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.39

$0.77 R 12.26

40.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$7.97 R 128

-51.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.93

$1.39 R 22.22

2.88%

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

$27.8K ฿913.6K

$36.6K R 585.1K

-24.01%

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

$27.0K ฿887.2K

$32.8K R 524.7K

-17.72%

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

$105 ฿3,446

$143 R 2,293

-26.85%

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

$11.39 ฿375

$15.71 R 251

-27.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿577

$40.22 R 644

-56.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,787

$30.36 R 486

78.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿376

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿256

$7.10 R 114

9.58%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$325 R 5,202

77.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿380.8K

$7,921 R 126.7K

46.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,092

$56.3 R 901

13.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿957

$30.93 R 495

-5.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,164

$101 R 1,610

-4.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,960

$89.5 R 1,432

0.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$387 R 6,194

89.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$391 R 6,249

28.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿69.9K

$832 R 13.3K

155.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.2K

$750 R 12.0K

66.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.2K

$1,017 R 16.3K

247.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.2K

$667 R 10.7K

293.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

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 6, 2026

Last update for Howick: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $387 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Howick. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $202, with Howick cheaper for home cooking.

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 Howick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howick is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,644 in Howick to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $387 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $325 in Howick. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Howick – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,096 in Howick versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Howick but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Howick the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Howick is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Howick are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Howick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.