Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wailuku, HI and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,600 in Wailuku, HI, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Wailuku, HI
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Wailuku, HI Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Wailuku, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,600

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wailuku, HI and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wailuku, HI and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,600 in Wailuku, HI versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Wailuku, HI $2,600
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,819 in Wailuku, HI versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Wailuku, HI $3,819
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,038 in Wailuku, HI versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Wailuku, HI $5,038
Phuket $3,154

Living in Wailuku, HI is roughly 103% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Wailuku, HI is 91% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$4.47 ฿151

340.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$32.41 ฿1,094

133.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.63 $11.63

$8.81 ฿297

32.01%

Cappuccino

$5.42 $5.42

$2.83 ฿95.5

91.52%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$0.87 ฿29.43

209.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.49 ฿16.67

302.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$2.56 ฿86.4

128.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 $7.28

$3.68 ฿124

97.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.66 ฿56.0

-39.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.46 ฿49.35

138.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$1.50 ฿50.6

184.00%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.09 ฿70.5

98.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 $12.61

$19.07 ฿644

-33.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 $11.72

$3.30 ฿111

255.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.12 $17.12

$10.91 ฿368

56.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.93 ฿99.0

73.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.69 ฿57.1

-9.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.25 ฿75.8

88.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.08 ฿70.1

123.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.51 ฿51.0

90.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.38 ฿46.56

118.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.07 ฿35.99

96.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.52 ฿17.52

325.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.34 $9.34

$4.20 ฿142

122.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$18.79 ฿634

-18.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.82 ฿61.5

0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.84 ฿95.9

17.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.45 ฿49.03

40.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.3 $60.3

$56.7 ฿1,913

6.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.02 ฿102

3.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.02 ฿34.36

67.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.66 $31.66

$3.69 ฿125

757.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.47 ฿49.81

7.48%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

6.49%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-2.63%

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

$197 $197

$96.4 ฿3,254

104.95%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$11.26 ฿380

455.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 $68.9

$16.85 ฿569

308.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.71 $34.71

$67.2 ฿2,270

-48.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$70.2 $70.2

$10.73 ฿362

553.87%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 $13.95

$7.50 ฿253

86.00%

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

$1,361 $1,361

$476 ฿16.1K

185.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

106.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 $52.1

$62.4 ฿2,106

-16.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.19 $41.19

$28.41 ฿959

44.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$94.3 ฿3,184

-6.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$85.8 ฿2,898

30.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 $1,575

$716 ฿24.2K

120.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 $1,280

$491 ฿16.6K

160.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,539 $2,539

$1,927 ฿65.1K

31.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 $2,059

$1,431 ฿48.3K

43.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,848 $2,848

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-31.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,492 $2,492

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-18.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

5.57

17.95%

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

Last update for Wailuku, HI: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Wailuku, HI

$1.3K 49.2%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 61.6% $789

Groceries & Markets

Wailuku, HI

$397 15.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 33% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wailuku, HI

$329 12.7%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 62.2% $204

Eating Out

Wailuku, HI

$320 12.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 62% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Wailuku, HI

$132 5.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 7.6% $10

Getting Around

Wailuku, HI

$80 3.1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 12% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Wailuku, HI

$63 2.4%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 31.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,575 in Wailuku, HI and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76 in Wailuku, HI vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wailuku, HI

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

03:04 3:04 AM

20:04 8:04 PM

17 h ahead of Wailuku, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,313

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Wailuku, HI Phuket 11,240 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Wailuku, HI
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,900 in Wailuku, HI and $1,917 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: $1,575 in Wailuku, HI versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,361 in Wailuku, HI versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Wailuku, HI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,600 in Wailuku, HI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wailuku, HI. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Wailuku, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.