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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in San Pedro Sula versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,845 in San Pedro Sula versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,467 in San Pedro Sula versus $2,833 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: San Pedro Sula 11% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.65 HNL 205

$4.56 ฿151

67.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.69 HNL 904

$32.62 ฿1,082

3.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 HNL 251

$8.90 ฿295

4.94%

Cappuccino

$2.42 HNL 65.0

$2.80 ฿93.0

-13.57%

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

$1.08 HNL 28.93

$0.88 ฿29.19

22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 HNL 20.87

$0.49 ฿16.23

59.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 HNL 50.5

$2.39 ฿79.2

-21.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 HNL 93.8

$3.71 ฿123

-5.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 HNL 39.31

$1.79 ฿59.3

-17.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 HNL 52.8

$1.44 ฿47.81

36.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 HNL 43.42

$1.58 ฿52.6

2.53%

Eggs

$2.30 HNL 61.8

$2.13 ฿70.5

7.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 HNL 235

$19.92 ฿661

-56.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 HNL 182

$3.43 ฿114

98.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 HNL 248

$11.33 ฿376

-18.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 HNL 97.2

$2.95 ฿97.8

22.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 HNL 32.76

$1.72 ฿57.1

-29.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 HNL 88.4

$2.32 ฿77.1

42.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 HNL 43.94

$2.08 ฿69.0

-21.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 HNL 65.2

$1.47 ฿48.77

65.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 HNL 61.4

$1.36 ฿45.05

68.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 HNL 39.24

$1.10 ฿36.45

32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 HNL 45.02

$0.57 ฿19.06

194.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 HNL 78.1

$4.27 ฿142

-31.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.95 HNL 348

$18.42 ฿611

-29.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 HNL 21.38

$1.87 ฿62.1

-57.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 HNL 36.17

$2.92 ฿96.9

-53.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 HNL 16.91

$2.22 ฿73.6

-71.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.42 HNL 950

$22.90 ฿759

54.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 HNL 76.0

$3.03 ฿101

-6.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 HNL 48.83

$1.07 ฿35.63

70.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.20 HNL 301

$3.93 ฿130

184.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 HNL 26.55

$1.49 ฿49.49

-33.56%

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

$23.3K HNL 625.1K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

-14.12%

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

$24.4K HNL 654.3K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

-11.16%

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

$128 HNL 3,439

$103 ฿3,410

24.67%

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

$11.18 HNL 300

$10.99 ฿365

1.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.78 HNL 1,148

$17.51 ฿581

144.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.57 HNL 1,008

$53.5 ฿1,776

-29.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.89 HNL 373

$11.20 ฿371

24.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 HNL 155

$7.48 ฿248

-22.86%

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

$149 HNL 4,009

$557 ฿18.5K

-73.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,150 HNL 84.5K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-73.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.9 HNL 1,984

$64.1 ฿2,125

15.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.87 HNL 1,070

$29.07 ฿964

37.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 HNL 2,090

$96.0 ฿3,183

-18.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.8 HNL 2,034

$90.3 ฿2,997

-16.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 HNL 14.8K

$730 ฿24.2K

-24.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 HNL 11.1K

$500 ฿16.6K

-16.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 HNL 21.3K

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-61.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 HNL 19.1K

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-41.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$995 HNL 26.7K

$3,596 ฿119.3K

-72.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$430 HNL 11.5K

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-82.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 HNL 16.1K

$503 ฿16.7K

19.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.33

5.57

121.36%

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

Last update for San Pedro Sula: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $552 in San Pedro Sula and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Pedro Sula pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in San Pedro Sula vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $255 vs $273, 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

San Pedro Sula vs Phuket: 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.

Average pay runs 20% higher in San Pedro Sula, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $552 in San Pedro Sula versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $149 in San Pedro Sula versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,223 in San Pedro Sula versus $1,253 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, San Pedro Sula 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 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.