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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,206 in San Pedro Sula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,821 in San Pedro Sula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,437 in San Pedro Sula.

Living in Phuket is roughly 2% more expensive than in San Pedro Sula, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, San Pedro Sula 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$7.49 HNL 201

-41.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$33.61 HNL 902

-4.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.32 HNL 250

-4.18%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.35 HNL 63.2

23.40%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.05 HNL 28.22

-16.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.77 HNL 20.55

-37.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.89 HNL 50.8

24.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.47 HNL 93.3

7.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.45 HNL 38.87

28.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.01 HNL 53.9

-26.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.54 HNL 41.32

0.65%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.31 HNL 62.0

-9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$8.88 HNL 238

120.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.77 HNL 182

-49.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$9.62 HNL 258

18.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.62 HNL 97.2

-17.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.26 HNL 33.95

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$3.33 HNL 89.3

-33.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.63 HNL 43.85

32.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.40 HNL 64.4

-36.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.33 HNL 62.5

-42.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.41 HNL 37.87

-19.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.67 HNL 44.87

-67.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.02 HNL 81.0

41.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$13.11 HNL 352

45.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.86 HNL 22.99

106.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.34 HNL 35.99

107.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.61 HNL 16.35

265.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$36.39 HNL 977

-37.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.71 HNL 72.8

11.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.83 HNL 49.18

-44.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$11.24 HNL 302

-65.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.00 HNL 26.79

49.00%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$22.9K HNL 614.4K

16.18%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$24.8K HNL 666.7K

8.86%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$130 HNL 3,492

-21.20%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$11.10 HNL 298

2.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$43.89 HNL 1,179

-60.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$37.13 HNL 997

40.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$14.20 HNL 381

-22.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.61 HNL 151

37.08%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$147 HNL 3,941

282.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$3,225 HNL 86.6K

256.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$73.8 HNL 1,981

-14.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$40.57 HNL 1,089

-27.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$77.8 HNL 2,089

26.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$75.0 HNL 2,014

18.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$551 HNL 14.8K

34.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$410 HNL 11.0K

17.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$810 HNL 21.8K

159.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$728 HNL 19.6K

68.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,018 HNL 27.3K

255.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$434 HNL 11.6K

500.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$612 HNL 16.4K

-19.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.33

-54.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for San Pedro Sula: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $551 in San Pedro Sula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Pedro Sula pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in San Pedro Sula. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $257, with San Pedro Sula cheaper for home cooking.

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 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 24% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $551 in San Pedro Sula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $147 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 6% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,206 in San Pedro Sula versus $1,232 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 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.