Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hua Hin

For one person, living is cheaper in Hua Hin: $1,043 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Hua Hin
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Hua Hin Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Hua Hin

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,043

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Hua Hin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Hua Hin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $1,043 in Hua Hin, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Hua Hin $1,043

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,626 in Hua Hin, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Hua Hin $1,626

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $2,209 in Hua Hin, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Hua Hin $2,209

Phuket costs about 16% more than Hua Hin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Phuket and Hua Hin are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Hua Hin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$3.18 ฿106

44.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$21.88 ฿731

48.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$7.36 ฿246

16.17%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.11 ฿70.4

28.91%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.75 ฿25.03

25.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.37 ฿12.42

32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.07 ฿69.0

25.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.93 ฿98.0

30.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.49 ฿49.85

16.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.27 ฿42.42

12.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.28 ฿42.67

19.53%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.91 ฿63.8

13.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$12.24 ฿409

56.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$2.49 ฿83.2

32.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$16.03 ฿536

-30.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$3.59 ฿120

-17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.94 ฿31.57

78.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$2.35 ฿78.7

-2.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.57 ฿52.6

35.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$2.04 ฿68.3

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.05 ฿34.97

29.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.82 ฿27.25

36.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.42 ฿14.01

30.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.47 ฿150

-4.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$14.28 ฿477

27.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.69 ฿56.5

2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.79 ฿59.7

55.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.43 ฿14.43

416.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$58.5 ฿1,954

-62.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$2.36 ฿78.7

23.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.58 ฿52.9

-36.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$8.83 ฿295

-56.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.43 ฿47.93

4.20%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$16.4K ฿546.5K

63.14%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$27.0K ฿904.0K

-1.25%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$81.5 ฿2,724

21.91%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$9.12 ฿305

23.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$23.41 ฿782

-25.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$46.99 ฿1,571

11.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$23.69 ฿792

-54.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$6.41 ฿214

18.10%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$724 ฿24.2K

-22.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$10.9K ฿362.8K

5.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$5.96 ฿199

955.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$36.01 ฿1,203

-20.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$70.8 ฿2,366

35.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$53.3 ฿1,783

65.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$579 ฿19.3K

26.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$395 ฿13.2K

16.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$1,372 ฿45.9K

52.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$803 ฿26.8K

52.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$1,805 ฿60.3K

91.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,421 ฿47.5K

75.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$468 ฿15.6K

5.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.3

-11.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hua Hin: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Hua Hin

$395 37.9% 14.1% $65

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Hua Hin

$236 22.6% 11.9% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Hua Hin

$114 10.9% 10.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Hua Hin

$75 7.2% 39.7% $49

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Hua Hin

$94 9% 22.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Hua Hin

$60 5.7% 11.3% $7.6

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Hua Hin

$70 6.8% 81.2% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $579 in Hua Hin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 5% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $22.00 in Hua Hin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $236 – making Hua Hin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇭 Hua Hin

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

50,169

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Hua Hin 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Hua Hin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Hua Hin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 16% more than Hua Hin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,565 in Hua Hin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $1,043 in Hua Hin. That's a gap of about 16%.

Public transport costs about 165% less in Hua Hin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hua Hin, where all-in costs run around $1,043, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Hua Hin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hua Hin costs $1,043 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Hua Hin. 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.