Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kaneohe, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,754 in Kaneohe, HI, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Kaneohe, HI, United States
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Kaneohe, HI
🇺🇸 United States
$2,754
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kaneohe, HI

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 Kaneohe, HI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,754 in Kaneohe, HI.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Kaneohe, HI $2,754

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $4,026 in Kaneohe, HI.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Kaneohe, HI $4,026

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $5,298 in Kaneohe, HI.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Kaneohe, HI $5,298

Living in Phuket costs roughly 53% less than in Kaneohe, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Kaneohe, HI is 104% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Kaneohe, HI
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿147
$17.48 $17.48
-74.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,085
$76.2 $76.2
-57.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿292
$12.71 $12.71
-31.55%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.5
$5.54 $5.54
-50.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.25
$1.93 $1.93
-51.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.78
$1.99 $1.99
-74.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.0
$7.17 $7.17
-64.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$5.08 $5.08
-28.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Kaneohe, HI
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.4
$1.04 $1.04
67.31%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.73
$3.58 $3.58
-59.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$6.65 $6.65
-77.44%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.0
$7.53 $7.53
-71.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿641
$12.65 $12.65
50.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿114
$10.83 $10.83
-68.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿366
$17.88 $17.88
-39.04%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿98.8
$8.34 $8.34
-64.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.8
$1.59 $1.59
6.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.7
$7.02 $7.02
-68.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.4
$9.38 $9.38
-77.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿48.99
$3.81 $3.81
-61.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿45.95
$4.77 $4.77
-71.28%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.14
$3.04 $3.04
-64.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.32
$3.07 $3.07
-82.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$8.40 $8.40
-47.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿613
$6.92 $6.92
163.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.5
$2.80 $2.80
-36.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿96.8
$5.85 $5.85
-50.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Kaneohe, HI
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.62
$1.94 $1.94
-25.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,844
$60.1 $60.1
-8.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿50.8
$3.47 $3.47
-56.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.06
$2.59 $2.59
-69.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿129
$44.99 $44.99
-91.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.96
$1.44 $1.44
3.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿902.9K
$35.6K $35.6K
-24.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿884.9K
$25.7K $25.7K
2.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Kaneohe, HI
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,285
$255 $255
-61.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿379
$65.7 $65.7
-82.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿577
$65.3 $65.3
-73.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Kaneohe, HI
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,295
$40.10 $40.10
70.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿367
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿250
$16.78 $16.78
-55.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Kaneohe, HI
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.8K
$888 $888
-40.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿630.9K
$28.2K $28.2K
-33.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Kaneohe, HI
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,072
$64.2 $64.2
-3.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿949
$45.89 $45.89
-38.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,225
$102 $102
-5.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,916
$111 $111
-21.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Kaneohe, HI
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.2K
$1,567 $1,567
-54.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.1K
$1,275 $1,275
-60.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.5K
$2,585 $2,585
-24.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿46.9K
$2,081 $2,081
-32.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿140.8K
$2,590 $2,590
61.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿110.8K
$2,184 $2,184
51.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Kaneohe, HI
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.5K
$4,427 $4,427
-88.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.5
1.27%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kaneohe, HI: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Kaneohe, HI
$1.3K 151% $766
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Kaneohe, HI
$484 81.5% $218
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Kaneohe, HI
$386 205% $259
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Kaneohe, HI
$145 18.5% $23
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Kaneohe, HI
$306 156% $187
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Kaneohe, HI
$74 11.5% $9.5
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Kaneohe, HI
$84 27.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,567 in Kaneohe, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaneohe, HI pays about 9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $76 in Kaneohe, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $484 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇺🇸 Kaneohe, HI
🕒 Local time
09:17 9:17 AM
16:17 4:17 PM
17 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
34,597
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Kaneohe, HI 11,100 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Kaneohe, HI

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 Kaneohe, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Kaneohe, HI?
Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Kaneohe, HI. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Phuket or in Kaneohe, HI?
On paper, salaries run 89% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket compared to Kaneohe, HI?
Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $1,567 in Kaneohe, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Phuket or in Kaneohe, HI?
Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Kaneohe, HI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Phuket and in Kaneohe, HI?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $76 in Kaneohe, HI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or in Kaneohe, HI?
At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,754 in Kaneohe, HI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kaneohe, HI. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Phuket or Kaneohe, HI?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
How safe is Phuket compared to Kaneohe, HI?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Kaneohe, HI are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Kaneohe, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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