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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,240 in Roatan versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,030 in Roatan versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,820 in Roatan versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Roatan costs roughly 2% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Roatan 10% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.91 HNL 212

$4.66 ฿154

69.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.62 HNL 1,091

$32.22 ฿1,065

26.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.73 HNL 234

$8.68 ฿287

0.58%

Cappuccino

$4.44 HNL 119

$2.90 ฿95.8

53.10%

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

$1.01 HNL 27.04

$0.84 ฿27.89

20.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 HNL 23.22

$0.49 ฿16.16

75.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 HNL 67.5

$2.48 ฿82.0

1.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 HNL 137

$3.73 ฿123

37.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 HNL 38.68

$1.89 ฿62.3

-23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 HNL 86.6

$1.41 ฿46.54

128.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 HNL 68.3

$1.62 ฿53.6

56.79%

Eggs

$2.04 HNL 54.7

$2.24 ฿74.1

-8.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.03 HNL 296

$19.84 ฿656

-44.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 HNL 173

$3.48 ฿115

85.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 HNL 469

$11.37 ฿376

53.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 HNL 29.12

$1.72 ฿57.0

-37.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 HNL 29.14

$2.27 ฿75.1

-51.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 HNL 15.05

$2.13 ฿70.4

-73.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 HNL 44.10

$1.47 ฿48.72

11.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 HNL 39.86

$1.42 ฿46.92

4.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 HNL 31.45

$1.10 ฿36.25

6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 HNL 78.8

$0.60 ฿19.76

388.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 HNL 78.2

$4.31 ฿142

-32.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 HNL 210

$18.60 ฿615

-57.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 HNL 35.78

$1.80 ฿59.5

-26.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 HNL 70.1

$2.97 ฿98.0

-12.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 HNL 55.0

$3.10 ฿102

-33.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.12 HNL 272

$3.87 ฿128

161.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 HNL 28.85

$1.43 ฿47.16

-25.17%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

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

$29.6K HNL 796.0K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

9.86%

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

$105 ฿3,462

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

$11.39 ฿376

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$98.5 HNL 2,644

$17.54 ฿580

461.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 HNL 1,580

$54.3 ฿1,795

8.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

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

$499 HNL 13.4K

$576 ฿19.0K

-13.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.90 HNL 1,072

$63.6 ฿2,103

-37.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.67 HNL 528

$29.10 ฿961

-32.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.79 HNL 1,095

$96.2 ฿3,179

-57.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.65 HNL 1,333

$90.0 ฿2,974

-44.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 HNL 22.8K

$733 ฿24.2K

15.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 HNL 14.8K

$501 ฿16.5K

10.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 HNL 53.4K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-6.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 HNL 33.0K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-1.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,907 HNL 51.2K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-46.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,338 HNL 35.9K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-48.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$495 HNL 13.3K

$508 ฿16.8K

-2.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

223.16%

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

Last update for Roatan: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $848 in Roatan and $733 in Phuket. 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: $41.00 in Roatan vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $275, with Roatan 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

Roatan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roatan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Phuket. 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: $848 in Roatan versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $499 in Roatan versus $576 in Phuket. 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 $41.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,240 in Roatan versus $1,265 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, Roatan and Phuket 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 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.