Cost of Living Comparison Between Waikiki, HI and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Waikiki, HI and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,026 in Waikiki, HI versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,514 in Waikiki, HI versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,003 in Waikiki, HI versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Waikiki, HI is roughly 140% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Waikiki, HI is 125% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.46 $23.46

$4.56 ฿149

414.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.3 $99.3

$46.63 ฿1,524

113.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.22 $15.22

$8.47 ฿277

79.69%

Cappuccino

$5.76 $5.76

$3.03 ฿98.9

90.10%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$0.69 ฿22.52

433.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$0.37 ฿11.96

648.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 $8.19

$2.49 ฿81.3

228.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.95 $8.95

$3.66 ฿120

144.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.18 ฿71.3

-26.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.90 ฿62.2

24.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.18 $10.18

$2.20 ฿71.8

362.73%

Eggs

$7.61 $7.61

$2.22 ฿72.6

242.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$19.99 ฿653

-37.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.79 $18.79

$3.66 ฿120

413.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.12 $20.12

$13.25 ฿433

51.85%

Apples (1kg)

$6.89 $6.89

$3.23 ฿106

113.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.70 ฿55.5

-8.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$2.39 ฿78.2

170.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.20 $8.20

$2.08 ฿67.9

294.23%

Potato (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$1.59 ฿52.0

220.13%

Onion (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$1.48 ฿48.47

215.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.78 $4.78

$1.03 ฿33.65

364.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$0.52 ฿16.89

469.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.04 $12.04

$4.25 ฿139

183.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 $20.28

$18.79 ฿614

7.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.76 ฿57.4

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 $5.58

$2.76 ฿90.1

102.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.36 ฿44.47

43.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 $81.2

$11.36 ฿371

615.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.14 ฿103

14.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.04 ฿33.85

146.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.55 $45.55

$13.77 ฿450

230.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.34 ฿43.94

-3.73%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$27.7K ฿904.5K

6.84%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-26.73%

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

$235 $235

$124 ฿4,039

89.77%

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

$66.6 $66.6

$13.52 ฿442

392.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.3 $67.3

$18.69 ฿611

260.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.64 $42.64

$61.8 ฿2,020

-31.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿564

Cinema Ticket

$16.14 $16.14

$9.14 ฿299

76.59%

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

$1,497 $1,497

$703 ฿23.0K

113.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K $20.3K

$15.9K ฿518.7K

28.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 $56.1

$59.5 ฿1,943

-5.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.2 $61.2

$35.07 ฿1,146

74.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$115 ฿3,767

-6.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$84.1 ฿2,747

48.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$619 ฿20.2K

156.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 $1,337

$433 ฿14.1K

209.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,674 $2,674

$2,062 ฿67.4K

29.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,223 $2,223

$1,511 ฿49.4K

47.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,862 $2,862

$3,646 ฿119.1K

-21.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,186 $2,186

$2,626 ฿85.8K

-16.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

5.33

23.64%

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

Last update for Waikiki, HI: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,584 in Waikiki, HI and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99.0 in Waikiki, HI vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $556 vs $293 per month, with Phuket 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

Waikiki, HI vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,539 in Waikiki, HI and $1,892 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,584 in Waikiki, HI versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,497 in Waikiki, HI versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Waikiki, HI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $3,026 in Waikiki, HI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Waikiki, HI. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Waikiki, HI, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Waikiki, HI 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Waikiki, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.