Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Huntington Beach, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $3,747 in Huntington Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $29,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
177

Cost of Living Index in Huntington Beach, CA
Learn more

Huntington Beach, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Huntington Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Huntington Beach, CA

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 Huntington Beach, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $3,747 in Huntington Beach, CA.

Phuket $1,294
Huntington Beach, CA $3,747

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $5,302 in Huntington Beach, CA.

Phuket $2,204
Huntington Beach, CA $5,302

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $6,858 in Huntington Beach, CA.

Phuket $3,115
Huntington Beach, CA $6,858

Living in Phuket costs roughly 65% less than in Huntington Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Huntington Beach, CA is 177% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$25.06 $25.06

-82.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,085

$81.6 $81.6

-60.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

$15.20 $15.20

-42.76%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$5.89 $5.89

-53.82%

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

$0.93 ฿31.25

$3.06 $3.06

-69.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.78

$2.30 $2.30

-78.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.0

$7.35 $7.35

-65.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$7.84 $7.84

-53.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$1.19 $1.19

46.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.73

$5.13 $5.13

-71.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$4.88 $4.88

-69.26%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$5.07 $5.07

-57.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿641

$12.46 $12.46

53.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$19.14 $19.14

-82.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$15.45 $15.45

-29.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.8

$4.79 $4.79

-38.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.70 $1.70

-0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.7

$4.30 $4.30

-49.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$5.76 $5.76

-63.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.99

$4.29 $4.29

-65.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.95

$3.07 $3.07

-55.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.14

$2.06 $2.06

-47.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.32

$2.47 $2.47

-77.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$11.83 $11.83

-62.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿613

$14.85 $14.85

22.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.5

$1.95 $1.95

-9.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$3.77 $3.77

-23.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.62

$1.98 $1.98

-26.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

$69.2 $69.2

-20.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.8

$3.59 $3.59

-57.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.06

$1.67 $1.67

-53.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$31.89 $31.89

-87.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.96

$1.51 $1.51

-1.32%

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

$26.9K ฿902.9K

$27.9K $27.9K

-3.82%

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

$26.3K ฿884.9K

$26.2K $26.2K

0.39%

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

$97.8 ฿3,285

$214 $214

-54.34%

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

$11.29 ฿379

$60.7 $60.7

-81.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿577

$80.4 $80.4

-78.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,295

$37.03 $37.03

84.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$14.72 $14.72

-49.52%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$1,170 $1,170

-54.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿630.9K

$19.8K $19.8K

-5.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,072

$65.1 $65.1

-5.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿949

$40.71 $40.71

-30.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,225

$101 $101

-5.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,916

$115 $115

-24.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$2,358 $2,358

-69.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$2,234 $2,234

-77.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.5K

$4,065 $4,065

-52.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.9K

$3,534 $3,534

-60.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.8K

$11.7K $11.7K

-64.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.8K

$7,423 $7,423

-55.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$5,600 $5,600

-91.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.56

-15.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Huntington Beach, CA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Huntington Beach, CA

$2.2K 59.6% 339% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Huntington Beach, CA

$466 12.5% 74.8% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Huntington Beach, CA

$355 9.5% 181% $229

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Huntington Beach, CA

$145 3.9% 18.2% $22

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Huntington Beach, CA

$391 10.4% 227% $271

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Huntington Beach, CA

$66 1.8% 20.1% $17

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Huntington Beach, CA

$89 2.4% 34.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $2,358 in Huntington Beach, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Huntington Beach, CA pays about 11 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $82 in Huntington Beach, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $466 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Huntington Beach, CA

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

21:39 9:39 PM

15 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

193,366

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Huntington Beach, CA 14,010 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Huntington Beach, CA

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 Huntington Beach, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Huntington Beach, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $2,358 in Huntington Beach, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Huntington Beach, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $82 in Huntington Beach, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $3,747 in Huntington Beach, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Huntington Beach, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value at $1,294 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Huntington Beach, CA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Huntington Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.