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: $2,699 in Wailuku, HI versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,999 in Wailuku, HI versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,300 in Wailuku, HI versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Wailuku, HI is roughly 113% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Wailuku, HI is 96% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.91 $19.91

$4.66 ฿154

327.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$32.22 ฿1,065

134.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 $11.62

$8.68 ฿287

33.87%

Cappuccino

$5.45 $5.45

$2.90 ฿95.8

87.93%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$0.84 ฿27.89

214.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.49 ฿16.16

308.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$2.48 ฿82.0

147.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 $7.14

$3.73 ฿123

91.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.89 ฿62.3

-47.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 $3.39

$1.41 ฿46.54

140.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$1.62 ฿53.6

172.84%

Eggs

$4.21 $4.21

$2.24 ฿74.1

87.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.38 $12.38

$19.84 ฿656

-37.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.43 $11.43

$3.48 ฿115

228.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 $16.70

$11.37 ฿376

46.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.90 ฿95.8

73.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.72 ฿57.0

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.27 ฿75.1

95.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$2.13 ฿70.4

126.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.47 ฿48.72

91.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.42 ฿46.92

115.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.10 ฿36.25

95.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.60 ฿19.76

265.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.75 $9.75

$4.31 ฿142

126.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.96 $14.96

$18.60 ฿615

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.80 ฿59.5

-7.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.97 ฿98.0

13.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.25 ฿74.2

-12.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 $120

$23.49 ฿776

411.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.10 ฿102

-2.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.08 ฿35.56

61.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.42 $28.42

$3.87 ฿128

634.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.43 ฿47.16

10.49%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

31.81%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-4.25%

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

$198 $198

$105 ฿3,462

88.61%

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

$55.9 $55.9

$11.39 ฿376

391.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$17.54 ฿580

291.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.81 $41.81

$54.3 ฿1,795

-23.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$69.5 $69.5

$11.44 ฿378

507.60%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 $14.15

$7.78 ฿257

81.88%

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

$1,433 $1,433

$576 ฿19.0K

148.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

105.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 $52.2

$63.6 ฿2,103

-18.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.11 $41.11

$29.10 ฿961

41.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 $86.8

$96.2 ฿3,179

-9.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$90.0 ฿2,974

27.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,605 $1,605

$733 ฿24.2K

118.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$501 ฿16.5K

162.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,471 $2,471

$2,126 ฿70.2K

16.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 $2,119

$1,252 ฿41.4K

69.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,739 $2,739

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-22.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,441 $2,441

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-6.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.12

5.57

9.87%

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

Last update for Wailuku, HI: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,605 in Wailuku, HI and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75.0 in Wailuku, HI vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $395 vs $275 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, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,048 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: $1,605 in Wailuku, HI versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,433 in Wailuku, HI versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Wailuku, HI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,699 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 113% less than in Wailuku, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.