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 $862 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,338 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,813 in Howick.

Living in Phuket is roughly 47% more expensive than Howick, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Howick 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.38 R 54.9

39.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$28.56 R 464

58.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.45 R 56.1

144.35%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.98 R 32.18

47.98%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.55 R 8.90

25.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.44 R 7.10

-15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.00 R 32.46

20.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.29 R 37.24

62.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.05 R 17.07

112.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.81 R 13.09

125.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.13 R 18.44

92.04%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.18 R 35.47

1.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$4.96 R 80.5

297.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.26 R 36.78

60.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$4.93 R 80.1

174.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.49 R 24.23

120.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.09 R 17.67

47.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.38 R 22.38

74.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.14 R 18.52

82.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.80 R 13.07

91.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.23 R 19.91

20.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.96 R 15.66

3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.92 R 14.90

-44.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.17 R 51.5

39.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$4.89 R 79.5

296.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.15 R 18.71

54.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.10 R 17.92

146.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.64 R 26.62

-16.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.72 R 28.03

75.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.57 R 9.33

73.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.80 R 111

107.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.25 R 20.28

8.80%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$14.0K R 227.8K

101.21%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.6K R 367.5K

45.48%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$147 R 2,386

-17.10%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$13.79 R 224

-1.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$33.39 R 543

-45.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$31.06 R 505

93.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.66 R 92.1

53.53%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$100 R 1,629

591.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,543 R 73.8K

245.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$42.71 R 694

39.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$14.15 R 230

145.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$82.5 R 1,340

38.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$44.83 R 729

85.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$369 R 5,999

66.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$330 R 5,364

32.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$682 R 11.1K

207.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$698 R 11.3K

116.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$980 R 15.9K

282.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$777 R 12.6K

236.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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 2, 2026

Last update for Howick: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $369 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Howick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $135 per month, with Howick cheaper across the board.

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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,294 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: $613 in Phuket versus $369 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $100 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 $29.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $862 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 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.