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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,215 in San Pedro Sula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,842 in San Pedro Sula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,469 in San Pedro Sula.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Pedro Sula 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$7.66 HNL 204

-38.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$31.10 HNL 828

45.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$8.68 HNL 231

-2.88%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.17 HNL 57.8

35.02%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.37 HNL 36.62

-49.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$1.11 HNL 29.53

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.94 HNL 51.6

24.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.22 HNL 85.7

15.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.47 HNL 39.15

51.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.96 HNL 52.2

-6.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.55 HNL 41.32

40.00%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.51 HNL 66.8

-11.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.92 HNL 238

121.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.95 HNL 159

-38.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.98 HNL 293

23.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$4.27 HNL 114

-23.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.58 HNL 42.03

1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.94 HNL 105

-38.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.02 HNL 53.7

2.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.27 HNL 60.5

-32.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.51 HNL 66.8

-41.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.82 HNL 21.92

20.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.62 HNL 43.22

-68.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.14 HNL 83.7

40.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$12.99 HNL 346

49.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.11 HNL 29.47

60.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.62 HNL 43.04

67.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.58 HNL 15.51

136.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$37.20 HNL 991

-69.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.75 HNL 99.8

-19.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.43 HNL 37.99

-30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$7.19 HNL 192

96.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.05 HNL 27.96

29.52%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$21.5K HNL 573.8K

30.91%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.4K HNL 435.6K

101.22%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$135 HNL 3,589

-9.68%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$10.17 HNL 271

33.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$49.79 HNL 1,326

-63.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$39.17 HNL 1,043

53.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$20.81 HNL 554

-17.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.41 HNL 144

60.63%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$144 HNL 3,844

380.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$3,288 HNL 87.6K

377.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$50.5 HNL 1,344

18.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$37.13 HNL 989

-6.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$83.6 HNL 2,226

37.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$93.6 HNL 2,492

-10.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$556 HNL 14.8K

10.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$416 HNL 11.1K

4.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$925 HNL 24.6K

126.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$739 HNL 19.7K

104.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,031 HNL 27.5K

263.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$430 HNL 11.4K

509.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$597 HNL 15.9K

-14.90%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for San Pedro Sula: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $556 in San Pedro Sula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Pedro Sula pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in San Pedro Sula for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $266 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 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, San Pedro Sula earns 18% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $556 in San Pedro Sula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $144 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 10% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,215 in San Pedro Sula versus $1,265 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 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.