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: $1,213 in Roatan versus $1,247 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Roatan versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,786 in Roatan versus $3,306 in Phuket.

Living in Roatan costs roughly 3% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Roatan 10% lower, Phuket 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.66 HNL 204

$4.59 ฿147

66.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.15 HNL 1,066

$46.83 ฿1,501

-14.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 HNL 237

$8.70 ฿279

2.64%

Cappuccino

$3.77 HNL 100

$2.92 ฿93.7

29.11%

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

$1.20 HNL 31.91

$0.68 ฿21.92

76.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 HNL 19.91

$0.40 ฿12.70

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 HNL 60.9

$2.51 ฿80.4

-8.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 HNL 105

$3.80 ฿122

3.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 HNL 34.71

$2.16 ฿69.3

-39.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 HNL 89.8

$1.88 ฿60.3

79.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 HNL 59.5

$2.16 ฿69.2

3.70%

Eggs

$1.98 HNL 52.6

$2.22 ฿71.2

-10.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.91 HNL 290

$19.57 ฿627

-44.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 HNL 176

$3.80 ฿122

74.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.91 HNL 476

$13.41 ฿430

33.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 HNL 28.56

$1.61 ฿51.7

-32.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 HNL 28.63

$2.31 ฿74.0

-53.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 HNL 15.08

$2.06 ฿66.0

-72.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 HNL 28.62

$1.61 ฿51.5

-32.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 HNL 29.61

$1.44 ฿46.26

-22.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 HNL 26.24

$1.03 ฿33.01

-3.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 HNL 78.3

$0.48 ฿15.39

514.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 HNL 78.3

$4.50 ฿144

-34.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.60 HNL 202

$19.18 ฿615

-60.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 HNL 105

$2.69 ฿86.2

46.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 HNL 52.4

$3.11 ฿99.6

-36.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.86 HNL 262

$13.74 ฿441

-28.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 HNL 28.13

$1.30 ฿41.61

-18.46%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

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

$30.5K HNL 810.6K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-7.57%

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

$125 ฿4,004

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

$13.74 ฿440

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 HNL 2,703

$18.61 ฿597

446.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 HNL 1,618

$60.6 ฿1,941

0.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

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

$422 HNL 11.2K

$698 ฿22.4K

-39.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,274 HNL 113.5K

$16.1K ฿516.5K

-73.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.69 HNL 1,081

$59.2 ฿1,898

-31.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.38 HNL 541

$34.86 ฿1,118

-41.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.69 HNL 1,081

$114 ฿3,662

-64.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.22 HNL 1,307

$85.8 ฿2,751

-42.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 HNL 22.3K

$619 ฿19.8K

35.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$542 HNL 14.4K

$437 ฿14.0K

23.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 HNL 19.4K

$2,075 ฿66.5K

-64.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 HNL 32.6K

$1,509 ฿48.4K

-18.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,910 HNL 50.7K

$3,764 ฿120.7K

-49.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,336 HNL 35.5K

$2,694 ฿86.4K

-50.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 HNL 13.5K

$528 ฿16.9K

-4.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

237.71%

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

Last update for Roatan: April 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $838 in Roatan and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 4% 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: $40 in Roatan vs $47 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $292 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

Roatan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roatan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 4% 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: $838 in Roatan versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Roatan versus $698 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 $40.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,213 in Roatan versus $1,247 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 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.