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: $2,980 in Waikiki, HI versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,395 in Waikiki, HI versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,810 in Waikiki, HI versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Waikiki, HI is roughly 135% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Waikiki, HI is 122% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.33 $23.33

$4.66 ฿150

400.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$46.44 ฿1,496

119.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.12 $15.12

$8.68 ฿280

74.19%

Cappuccino

$5.95 $5.95

$2.95 ฿95.0

101.69%

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

$3.67 $3.67

$0.70 ฿22.52

424.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$0.39 ฿12.70

628.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 $7.92

$2.53 ฿81.6

213.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.85 $8.85

$3.78 ฿122

134.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.22 ฿71.5

-27.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.80 ฿57.8

33.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.23 $10.23

$2.19 ฿70.4

367.12%

Eggs

$7.44 $7.44

$2.31 ฿74.5

222.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 $12.36

$19.34 ฿623

-36.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.09 $19.09

$3.77 ฿121

406.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.73 $19.73

$13.22 ฿426

49.24%

Apples (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.33 ฿107

105.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.65 ฿53.1

Oranges (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$2.29 ฿73.7

180.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.12 $8.12

$1.99 ฿64.1

308.04%

Potato (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$1.53 ฿49.24

230.07%

Onion (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$1.51 ฿48.77

193.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.91 $4.91

$1.03 ฿33.12

376.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$0.51 ฿16.57

505.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 $11.83

$4.41 ฿142

168.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.35 $20.35

$19.41 ฿625

4.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.80 ฿58.0

40.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 $5.50

$2.68 ฿86.4

105.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.43 ฿46.11

42.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.8 $80.8

$11.70 ฿377

590.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.04 ฿97.9

15.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.04 ฿33.37

156.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.77 $44.77

$13.68 ฿441

227.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.30 ฿41.85

-2.31%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

8.76%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-25.45%

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

$237 $237

$123 ฿3,962

92.74%

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

$64.9 $64.9

$13.82 ฿445

369.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.2 $67.2

$18.86 ฿608

256.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.82 $43.82

$61.2 ฿1,970

-28.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$15.83 $15.83

$8.87 ฿286

78.47%

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

$1,510 $1,510

$696 ฿22.4K

116.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K $20.5K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

27.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 $57.2

$59.3 ฿1,910

-3.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.1 $59.1

$34.85 ฿1,123

69.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$113 ฿3,646

-5.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$85.1 ฿2,740

50.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 $1,600

$615 ฿19.8K

159.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 $1,352

$448 ฿14.4K

201.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 $2,602

$2,085 ฿67.2K

24.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,196 $2,196

$1,496 ฿48.2K

46.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,461 $2,461

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-34.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,667 $2,667

$2,662 ฿85.8K

0.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,600 in Waikiki, HI and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $102 in Waikiki, HI vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $558 vs $291 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 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,470 in Waikiki, HI and $1,904 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: $1,600 in Waikiki, HI versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,510 in Waikiki, HI versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Waikiki, HI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,980 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 135% less than in Waikiki, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.