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 $1,218 in Roatan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,007 in Roatan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,797 in Roatan.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$7.65 HNL 204

-40.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,533

$39.35 HNL 1,049

18.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿278

$8.85 HNL 236

-4.29%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.5

$3.58 HNL 95.3

-15.36%

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

$0.69 ฿22.65

$1.24 HNL 33.03

-44.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.03

$0.74 HNL 19.74

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.8

$2.18 HNL 58.2

14.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$3.93 HNL 105

-6.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.7

$1.31 HNL 34.87

66.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.5

$3.38 HNL 90.0

-43.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.3

$2.15 HNL 57.2

2.33%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.1

$2.03 HNL 54.2

9.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿657

$10.87 HNL 290

83.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿120

$6.51 HNL 174

-43.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$17.33 HNL 462

-23.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.8

$1.11 HNL 29.59

53.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.7

$1.08 HNL 28.70

121.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$0.57 HNL 15.10

264.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.3

$1.07 HNL 28.53

48.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.76

$1.08 HNL 28.74

37.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.85

$1.02 HNL 27.10

0.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.99

$3.07 HNL 81.9

-83.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$2.99 HNL 79.6

42.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$7.77 HNL 207

141.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.6

$4.08 HNL 109

-32.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$1.97 HNL 52.5

59.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿452

$10.05 HNL 268

37.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.20

$1.06 HNL 28.27

26.42%

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

$27.7K ฿909.7K

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$30.6K HNL 814.4K

10.83%

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

$124 ฿4,062

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

$13.52 ฿444

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿614

$101 HNL 2,698

-81.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,032

$60.1 HNL 1,603

2.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿567

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿300

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$422 HNL 11.3K

66.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿521.7K

$4,238 HNL 113.0K

274.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,955

$39.47 HNL 1,052

50.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,153

$19.91 HNL 531

76.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,789

$39.64 HNL 1,057

190.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,763

$50.3 HNL 1,342

66.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.3K

$860 HNL 22.9K

-28.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$556 HNL 14.8K

-22.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.8K

$722 HNL 19.3K

185.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$1,264 HNL 33.7K

19.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿119.8K

$1,878 HNL 50.1K

94.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.3K

$1,346 HNL 35.9K

95.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$492 HNL 13.1K

2.99%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Roatan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $860 in Roatan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 3% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Roatan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $265 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.

Phuket pays 3% more on average, 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: $619 in Phuket versus $860 in Roatan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $422 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 $39.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,218 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.