Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Roatan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Roatan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,212 in Roatan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,980 in Roatan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,749 in Roatan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than in Roatan, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Roatan 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$7.35 HNL 197

-38.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,562

$40.22 HNL 1,076

15.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$8.89 HNL 238

-2.70%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$3.69 HNL 98.8

-16.26%

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

$0.68 ฿22.85

$1.24 HNL 33.19

-45.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.41

$0.70 HNL 18.74

-47.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$2.22 HNL 59.5

9.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$4.12 HNL 110

-7.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.30 HNL 34.79

67.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.2

$3.24 HNL 86.7

-43.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.3

$2.14 HNL 57.3

1.87%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.3

$1.98 HNL 53.0

13.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿671

$10.82 HNL 289

84.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$6.77 HNL 181

-46.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$17.97 HNL 481

-24.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.13 HNL 30.11

49.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.6

$1.09 HNL 29.10

113.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$0.58 HNL 15.38

250.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.07 HNL 28.56

49.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$1.08 HNL 28.86

37.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.11

$1.02 HNL 27.41

-0.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$2.94 HNL 78.8

-83.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$2.98 HNL 79.6

49.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$7.54 HNL 202

147.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$4.10 HNL 110

-31.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$2.04 HNL 54.5

51.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$9.91 HNL 265

37.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.15

$1.05 HNL 28.10

24.76%

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

$27.3K ฿919.1K

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$30.3K HNL 809.8K

9.73%

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

$123 ฿4,149

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

$13.81 ฿465

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$98.4 HNL 2,633

-81.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

$60.4 HNL 1,614

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$425 HNL 11.4K

61.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿523.9K

$4,118 HNL 110.1K

277.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,942

$40.11 HNL 1,073

43.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$20.18 HNL 540

71.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,872

$39.47 HNL 1,056

191.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,860

$50.9 HNL 1,361

66.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$844 HNL 22.6K

-26.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$550 HNL 14.7K

-19.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$741 HNL 19.8K

176.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

$1,248 HNL 33.4K

20.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

$1,873 HNL 50.1K

90.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$1,335 HNL 35.7K

88.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$492 HNL 13.2K

2.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-70.39%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Roatan: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $844 in Roatan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 2% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Roatan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $264 per month, with Roatan cheaper across the board.

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 Roatan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roatan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $618 in Phuket versus $844 in Roatan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $425 in Roatan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Roatan – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,212 in Roatan versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roatan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Roatan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Roatan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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

Expats usually find Roatan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.