Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Pedro Sula Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Pedro Sula

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,239 in San Pedro Sula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,872 in San Pedro Sula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,506 in San Pedro Sula.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than in San Pedro Sula, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Pedro Sula 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$7.73 HNL 207

-41.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$30.80 HNL 824

49.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$8.59 HNL 230

2.91%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.15 HNL 57.4

42.33%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.34 HNL 35.70

-45.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.06 HNL 28.33

-62.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.96 HNL 52.4

23.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.33 HNL 88.9

13.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.49 HNL 39.73

51.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.98 HNL 52.9

-8.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.51 HNL 40.27

49.01%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.53 HNL 67.7

-11.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.12 HNL 244

113.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.04 HNL 162

-39.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.25 HNL 301

16.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$4.27 HNL 114

-24.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.57 HNL 41.90

3.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$3.72 HNL 99.4

-36.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.01 HNL 53.8

1.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.25 HNL 60.3

-32.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.61 HNL 69.9

-42.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.85 HNL 22.70

15.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.62 HNL 43.43

-67.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.00 HNL 80.2

48.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$13.11 HNL 351

39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.15 HNL 30.73

61.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.55 HNL 41.48

72.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.63 HNL 16.91

123.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$36.58 HNL 978

-68.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.66 HNL 97.7

-15.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.42 HNL 37.97

-26.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.93 HNL 185

103.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.06 HNL 28.32

23.58%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$21.4K HNL 573.4K

29.69%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$16.6K HNL 443.9K

100.07%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$133 HNL 3,557

-7.96%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$10.04 HNL 268

35.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$49.96 HNL 1,336

-62.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$38.74 HNL 1,036

56.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$20.93 HNL 560

-18.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.59 HNL 149

62.25%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$145 HNL 3,864

388.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$3,188 HNL 85.2K

395.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$52.1 HNL 1,394

12.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$37.66 HNL 1,007

-6.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$84.5 HNL 2,258

36.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$94.0 HNL 2,513

-10.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$552 HNL 14.8K

13.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$417 HNL 11.2K

6.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$890 HNL 23.8K

129.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$720 HNL 19.2K

107.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$999 HNL 26.7K

248.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$431 HNL 11.5K

497.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$594 HNL 15.9K

-15.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.24

-52.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for San Pedro Sula: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $552 in San Pedro Sula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Pedro Sula pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in San Pedro Sula for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $268 per month, with San Pedro Sula 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 San Pedro Sula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Pedro Sula is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in San Pedro Sula. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $552 in San Pedro Sula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $145 in San Pedro Sula. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,239 in San Pedro Sula versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Pedro Sula but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Pedro Sula the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Pedro Sula 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 San Pedro Sula 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 San Pedro Sula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.