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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,654 in Wailuku, HI versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,941 in Wailuku, HI versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,227 in Wailuku, HI versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Wailuku, HI is roughly 110% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Wailuku, HI is 98% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.08 $19.08

$4.70 ฿154

305.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.7 $75.7

$45.37 ฿1,489

66.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 $11.02

$8.43 ฿277

30.72%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$2.93 ฿96.1

77.47%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$0.69 ฿22.50

275.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.37 ฿12.04

454.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 $6.15

$2.41 ฿79.0

155.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$3.72 ฿122

87.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.23 ฿73.3

-55.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.83 ฿60.1

95.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.17 ฿71.1

104.61%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.21 ฿72.6

93.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 $12.46

$19.74 ฿648

-36.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.43 $11.43

$3.63 ฿119

214.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.49 $15.49

$13.53 ฿444

14.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$3.28 ฿108

53.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.61 ฿52.9

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$2.41 ฿79.0

74.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.08 ฿68.4

125.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.53 ฿50.2

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.48 ฿48.58

93.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.99 ฿32.44

103.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.51 ฿16.74

325.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.74 $9.74

$4.41 ฿145

120.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$19.38 ฿636

-21.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.78 ฿58.4

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.71 ฿89.0

22.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.37 ฿44.99

46.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 $121

$11.39 ฿374

961.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.02 ฿99.1

17.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.99 ฿32.63

67.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.28 $29.28

$14.10 ฿463

107.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.36 ฿44.71

7.35%

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

$29.0K $29.0K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

2.87%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-22.00%

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

$188 $188

$122 ฿3,993

54.70%

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

$52.1 $52.1

$13.57 ฿445

284.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 $68.9

$18.31 ฿601

276.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.65 $42.65

$60.2 ฿1,976

-29.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.45 $24.45

$17.14 ฿562

42.65%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 $13.48

$8.69 ฿285

55.12%

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

$1,302 $1,302

$693 ฿22.8K

87.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$15.7K ฿514.7K

47.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 $50.4

$59.5 ฿1,953

-15.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 $40.33

$34.77 ฿1,141

15.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 $85.6

$115 ฿3,760

-25.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$83.3 ฿2,733

33.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$613 ฿20.1K

160.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,335 $1,335

$437 ฿14.3K

205.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,647 $2,647

$2,094 ฿68.7K

26.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,254 $2,254

$1,509 ฿49.5K

49.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 $2,678

$3,749 ฿123.0K

-28.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,567 $2,567

$2,616 ฿85.8K

-1.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.33

22.14%

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

Last update for Wailuku, HI: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,597 in Wailuku, HI and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in Wailuku, HI vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,981 in Wailuku, HI and $1,898 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: $1,597 in Wailuku, HI versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,302 in Wailuku, HI versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Wailuku, HI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,654 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.

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

Safety-wise, Wailuku, 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 110% less than in Wailuku, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.