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: $1,239 in San Pedro Sula versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,872 in San Pedro Sula versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,506 in San Pedro Sula versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in San Pedro Sula costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Pedro Sula 7% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.73 HNL 207

$4.55 ฿153

69.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.80 HNL 823

$46.18 ฿1,554

-33.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.59 HNL 230

$8.84 ฿298

-2.83%

Cappuccino

$2.15 HNL 57.4

$3.06 ฿103

-29.74%

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

$1.34 HNL 35.70

$0.73 ฿24.42

83.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 HNL 28.33

$0.40 ฿13.40

165.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 HNL 52.4

$2.43 ฿81.8

-19.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 HNL 88.9

$3.78 ฿127

-11.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 HNL 39.73

$2.26 ฿76.0

-34.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 HNL 52.9

$1.81 ฿60.9

9.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 HNL 40.27

$2.25 ฿75.8

-32.89%

Eggs

$2.53 HNL 67.7

$2.25 ฿75.6

12.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 HNL 244

$19.51 ฿656

-53.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 HNL 162

$3.65 ฿123

65.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.25 HNL 301

$13.05 ฿439

-13.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 HNL 114

$3.23 ฿109

32.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 HNL 41.90

$1.62 ฿54.4

-3.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 HNL 99.4

$2.38 ฿80.2

56.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 HNL 53.8

$2.03 ฿68.2

-0.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 HNL 60.3

$1.53 ฿51.6

47.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 HNL 69.9

$1.50 ฿50.5

74.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 HNL 22.70

$0.98 ฿32.93

-13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 HNL 43.43

$0.52 ฿17.40

211.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 HNL 80.2

$4.44 ฿149

-32.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 HNL 351

$18.32 ฿616

-28.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 HNL 30.72

$1.86 ฿62.7

-38.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 HNL 41.48

$2.68 ฿90.2

-42.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 HNL 16.91

$1.41 ฿47.49

-55.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.58 HNL 978

$11.70 ฿394

212.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 HNL 97.7

$3.11 ฿105

17.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 HNL 37.97

$1.04 ฿35.08

36.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 HNL 185

$14.11 ฿475

-50.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 HNL 28.32

$1.31 ฿44.13

-19.08%

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

$21.4K HNL 573.4K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-22.89%

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

$16.6K HNL 443.9K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-50.02%

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

$133 HNL 3,557

$122 ฿4,120

8.65%

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

$10.04 HNL 268

$13.59 ฿457

-26.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.96 HNL 1,336

$18.70 ฿629

167.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 HNL 1,036

$60.5 ฿2,035

-35.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.93 HNL 560

$16.98 ฿572

23.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.59 HNL 149

$9.07 ฿305

-38.37%

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

$145 HNL 3,864

$706 ฿23.8K

-79.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,188 HNL 85.2K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-79.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 HNL 1,394

$58.6 ฿1,970

-10.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.66 HNL 1,007

$35.36 ฿1,190

6.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 HNL 2,258

$115 ฿3,885

-26.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 HNL 2,513

$83.7 ฿2,818

12.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 HNL 14.8K

$626 ฿21.1K

-11.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 HNL 11.2K

$445 ฿15.0K

-6.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 HNL 23.8K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-56.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 HNL 19.2K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-51.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$999 HNL 26.7K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-71.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$431 HNL 11.5K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-83.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 HNL 15.9K

$500 ฿16.8K

18.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

5.33

110.88%

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

Last update for San Pedro Sula: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $552 in San Pedro Sula and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Pedro Sula pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in San Pedro Sula vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $289 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

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 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% 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 $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $145 in San Pedro Sula versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,239 in San Pedro Sula versus $1,250 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 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.