Hoi An vs Phuket

Real cost of living, rent, internet, safety and visa terms for both cities, side by side — then open the interactive tool to weight them against your own priorities.

Hoi An, Vietnam
🇻🇳Vietnam

Hoi An

71Freedom Score#43Global rank$1,050Per month

A UNESCO lantern-lit old town between rice paddies and the river — Vietnam's most picturesque base, with 45-day visa-free and rock-bottom costs.

Phuket, Thailand
🇹🇭Thailand

Phuket

92Freedom Score#3Global rank$1,450Per month

Phuket blends world-class beaches, legendary nightlife, and a growing digital nomad scene — all with near-zero tax on foreign income.

The short answer

Compare these two in the full toolBoth cities pre-loaded — add your income and priorities to get a personal match score

Cost of living

Monthly figures for one person. Rent, meals and coworking are measured values, not shares of the total budget.

ExpenseHoi AnPhuket
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,050✓$1,450
Rent, 1BR city centre$400✓$950
Meal, mid-range$6$4✓
Coworking deskper month$100✓$180
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper40.0✓41.1

Quality of life

Scored 0–100 on the same attributes the match engine weights, so these agree with the interactive tool.

MeasureHoi AnPhuket
Safety
82
70
Healthcare
48
70
Walkability
88
60
English spoken
35
70
Food & dining
82
80
Nightlife
45
100
Outdoors
70
88
Nomad community
58
90
Climate quality
75
85
Public transit
40
80

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureHoi AnPhuket
Freedom Score71/10092/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#43#3✓
Internet45 Mbps300 Mbps✓
Average temperature79°F82°F
Air quality40/10060/100✓
Airport connectivity35/10070/100✓
Nomad visa45 days free30–60 days
Headline tax rateon local income20%15%

Which should you choose?

Choose Hoi An if runs $400/mo cheaper, rent is $550/mo lower, it scores higher on safety (82 vs 70) and it is more walkable.

Choose Phuket if internet is faster at 300 Mbps, English is more widely spoken, the climate scores better and the nomad community is larger.

What each city is known for

Hoi An

  • UNESCO old town of lanterns and tailors
  • 45-day visa-free for Westerners
  • Among the cheapest nomad towns
  • Rice paddies and river beaches

Phuket

  • 0% tax on foreign-sourced income — keep what you earn
  • LTR Visa available for remote workers & investors
  • 300 Mbps fiber widely available across the island
  • World-class beaches and Patong nightlife on your doorstep

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Hoi An or Phuket?
Phuket scores higher on the Freedom Score (92/100 against 71/100), which makes it the stronger all-round base. That is an average, though — if cost, climate or community is what actually decides it for you, the tables above will point the other way as often as not.
Which is cheaper: Hoi An or Phuket?
Hoi An is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,050 against $1,450, a difference of $400 a month or about $4,800 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $400/mo in Hoi An versus $950/mo in Phuket.
Which is safer: Hoi An or Phuket?
Hoi An scores higher on safety, 82/100 against 70/100. Safety scores blend crime levels, political stability and healthcare access, and they describe a city as a whole — individual neighbourhoods vary far more than the headline number suggests.
How fast is the internet in Hoi An and Phuket?
Hoi An averages 45 Mbps and Phuket averages 300 Mbps, so Phuket has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Hoi An or Phuket?
Hoi An sits in Vietnam (45 days free) and Phuket in Thailand (30–60 days). Requirements, income floors and processing times change often, so check the visa and residency guide before you commit to either.
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Cost, connectivity and quality-of-life figures come from the YourLifeMatch city dataset. Where a value is not confirmed it reads n.a. rather than an estimate. Figures are for planning, not professional advice.