Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lihue, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,194 in Lihue, HI, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Lihue, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,194

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Lihue, 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 Lihue, HI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,194 in Lihue, HI.

Phuket $1,278
Lihue, HI $3,194

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $5,556 in Lihue, HI.

Phuket $2,216
Lihue, HI $5,556

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $7,919 in Lihue, HI.

Phuket $3,154
Lihue, HI $7,919

Living in Phuket costs roughly 60% less than in Lihue, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Lihue, HI is 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$25.32 $25.32

-82.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$111 $111

-70.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$13.03 $13.03

-32.39%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$6.55 $6.55

-56.79%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$3.82 $3.82

-77.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$2.46 $2.46

-80.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$6.88 $6.88

-62.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$7.91 $7.91

-53.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.88 $1.88

-11.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$6.56 $6.56

-77.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.81 $2.81

-46.62%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$10.19 $10.19

-79.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$15.42 $15.42

23.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$15.17 $15.17

-78.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$20.13 $20.13

-45.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$4.78 $4.78

-38.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$3.33 $3.33

-49.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$8.59 $8.59

-73.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$10.13 $10.13

-79.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$5.05 $5.05

-70.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$6.33 $6.33

-78.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$12.17 $12.17

-65.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$15.81 $15.81

18.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.70 $1.70

7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.69 $1.69

68.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$1.97 $1.97

-26.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$52.9 $52.9

7.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$7.88 $7.88

-61.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.90 $1.90

-46.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$15.25 $15.25

-75.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.30 $1.30

13.08%

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

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

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

$11.26 ฿380

$30.21 $30.21

-62.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$60.6 $60.6

-72.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$91.9 $91.9

-26.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$9.01 $9.01

-16.76%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,200 $1,200

-60.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$16.2K $16.2K

-30.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$2,353 $2,353

-69.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$2,000 $2,000

-75.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$5,245 $5,245

-63.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$4,812 $4,812

-70.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$1,987 $1,987

-74.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.69

-16.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lihue, HI: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Lihue, HI

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Lihue, HI

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Lihue, HI

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Lihue, HI

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Lihue, HI

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Lihue, HI

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Lihue, HI

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $2,353 in Lihue, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lihue, HI pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $111 in Lihue, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $519 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Lihue, HI

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

07:49 7:49 AM

17 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

8,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Phuket Lihue, HI 10,920 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Lihue, 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 Lihue, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Lihue, HI. 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 75% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $2,353 in Lihue, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $3,194 in Lihue, HI – a 150% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lihue, HI runs roughly 7% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,194 in Lihue, HI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lihue, HI. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Lihue, HI are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Lihue, HI on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.