Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and La Ceiba

For one person, living is cheaper in La Ceiba: $727 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
La Ceiba, Honduras
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
La Ceiba
🇭🇳 Honduras
$727
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in La Ceiba

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 La Ceiba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $727 in La Ceiba, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • La Ceiba $727

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,119 in La Ceiba, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • La Ceiba $1,119

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,510 in La Ceiba, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • La Ceiba $1,510

Phuket costs about 76% more than La Ceiba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Phuket and La Ceiba are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, La Ceiba 47% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
La Ceiba
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$4.00 HNL 108
11.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$29.47 HNL 792
9.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$6.94 HNL 186
26.95%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
-
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$0.81 HNL 21.82
7.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$1.00 HNL 26.92
156.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$3.03 HNL 81.5
21.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
La Ceiba
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.35 HNL 36.17
22.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$1.53 HNL 41.06
-4.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.85 HNL 49.65
-18.92%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.69 HNL 45.53
23.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$6.71 HNL 180
184.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$6.47 HNL 174
-49.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$10.43 HNL 280
4.60%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$5.04 HNL 135
-41.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
-
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$1.24 HNL 33.27
67.74%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.64 HNL 44.01
-7.93%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$1.85 HNL 49.58
-25.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$0.78 HNL 21.01
37.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.63 HNL 16.81
-17.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$2.60 HNL 69.9
61.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$14.18 HNL 381
32.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.20 HNL 32.31
51.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$1.53 HNL 41.12
85.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
La Ceiba
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$0.54 HNL 14.58
168.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
$55.9 HNL 1,503
1.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.09 HNL 29.27
177.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$1.80 HNL 48.42
-43.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$3.75 HNL 101
-1.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$1.11 HNL 29.72
32.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$18.7K HNL 501.5K
42.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
La Ceiba
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$145 HNL 3,907
-33.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$32.74 HNL 880
-65.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$56.6 HNL 1,519
-70.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
La Ceiba
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$31.40 HNL 844
114.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$22.55 HNL 606
-52.42%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$3.41 HNL 91.5
119.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
La Ceiba
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$255 HNL 6,861
86.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$4,366 HNL 117.3K
157.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
La Ceiba
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$16.84 HNL 452
270.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$11.14 HNL 299
155.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$33.42 HNL 898
182.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$47.02 HNL 1,263
82.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
La Ceiba
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$92.0 HNL 2,473
677.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$55.5 HNL 1,492
784.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$148 HNL 3,989
1197.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$130 HNL 3,489
1001.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$1,094 HNL 29.4K
281.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$748 HNL 20.1K
307.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
La Ceiba
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$557 HNL 15.0K
-9.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
0
-

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for La Ceiba: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
La Ceiba
$56 88.7% $435
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
La Ceiba
$215 * 19.3% $52
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
La Ceiba
$235 88.6% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
La Ceiba
$49 60% $73
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
La Ceiba
$67 * 44.8% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
La Ceiba
$38 53.5% $44
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
La Ceiba
$68 3.4% $2.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $92 in La Ceiba. 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 11% higher in La Ceiba, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $29 in La Ceiba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $215 – making La Ceiba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇭🇳 La Ceiba
🕒 Local time
02:58 2:58 AM
13:58 1:58 PM
13 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
196,856
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

HNL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Honduran Lempira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 26.87 HNL (100 HNL = 3.72 USD). 1 EUR = 29.91 HNL (100 HNL = 3.34 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket La Ceiba 17,320 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • La Ceiba

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 La Ceiba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in La Ceiba compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $727 in La Ceiba – La Ceiba comes out roughly 43% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to La Ceiba?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,091 in La Ceiba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and La Ceiba?
Rent is clearly cheaper in La Ceiba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $92 there versus $716 in Phuket.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $29 in La Ceiba. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 24% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in La Ceiba, where all-in costs run around $727, than in Phuket at $1,278. In La Ceiba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Phuket or La Ceiba?
Families tend to lean toward La Ceiba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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