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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,170 in Waipahu, HI versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,781 in Waipahu, HI versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,392 in Waipahu, HI versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Waipahu, HI is roughly 151% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Waipahu, HI is 137% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.30 $23.30

$4.53 ฿153

414.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$46.36 ฿1,565

118.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 $15.07

$8.65 ฿292

74.22%

Cappuccino

$6.64 $6.64

$3.09 ฿104

114.89%

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

$3.67 $3.67

$0.68 ฿22.89

439.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$0.37 ฿12.44

643.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.86 $7.86

$2.42 ฿81.6

224.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.09 $9.09

$3.81 ฿129

138.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$2.18 ฿73.5

-38.53%

White Bread (500g)

$6.79 $6.79

$1.82 ฿61.3

273.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$2.18 ฿73.5

376.15%

Eggs

$7.61 $7.61

$2.24 ฿75.4

239.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.29 $12.29

$19.93 ฿673

-38.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.81 $18.81

$3.64 ฿123

416.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.56 $19.56

$13.56 ฿458

44.25%

Apples (1kg)

$7.06 $7.06

$3.29 ฿111

114.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.69 ฿56.9

-12.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$2.33 ฿78.8

185.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.28 $8.28

$2.03 ฿68.4

307.88%

Potato (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$1.60 ฿54.0

225.00%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.49 ฿50.5

203.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.86 $4.86

$1.01 ฿34.17

381.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$0.48 ฿16.09

531.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.98 $9.98

$4.45 ฿150

124.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.06 $18.06

$18.63 ฿629

-3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.79 ฿60.3

35.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 $5.84

$2.80 ฿94.4

108.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.42 ฿47.90

43.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 $78.5

$11.33 ฿382

592.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.09 ฿104

14.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.04 ฿35.19

155.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.45 $44.45

$13.63 ฿460

226.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.31 ฿44.23

-2.29%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$27.3K ฿920.7K

9.48%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-24.95%

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

$238 $238

$123 ฿4,157

93.42%

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

$65.1 $65.1

$13.81 ฿466

371.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$18.52 ฿625

257.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.02 $43.02

$60.4 ฿2,037

-28.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿567

Cinema Ticket

$15.74 $15.74

$8.89 ฿300

77.05%

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

$1,520 $1,520

$687 ฿23.2K

121.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K $20.1K

$15.6K ฿524.8K

29.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 $45.57

$57.6 ฿1,945

-20.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.35 $40.35

$34.66 ฿1,170

16.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 $96.9

$115 ฿3,879

-15.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$84.9 ฿2,865

47.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 $1,619

$618 ฿20.8K

162.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,474 $1,474

$443 ฿15.0K

232.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,895 $2,895

$2,047 ฿69.1K

41.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,619 $2,619

$1,506 ฿50.8K

73.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,483 $2,483

$3,568 ฿120.4K

-30.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,121 $2,121

$2,511 ฿84.7K

-15.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

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 Waipahu, HI: July 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,619 in Waipahu, HI and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Waipahu, HI vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $595 vs $292 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

Waipahu, 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 151% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,754 in Waipahu, HI and $1,891 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: $1,619 in Waipahu, HI versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,520 in Waipahu, HI versus $687 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Waipahu, HI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $3,170 in Waipahu, HI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Waipahu, 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 Waipahu, HI, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Waipahu, 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 151% less than in Waipahu, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.