Cost of Living Comparison Between Castries and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Castries and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,422 per month in Castries vs $1,253 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,362 per month in Castries vs $2,043 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,302 per month in Castries vs $2,833 in Phuket, rent included.

Castries costs about 13% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Castries sits 3% above the global median, while Phuket is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 EC$24.67

$4.56 ฿150

100.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 EC$201

$32.62 ฿1,072

128.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 EC$23.06

$8.90 ฿293

-4.04%

Cappuccino

$3.68 EC$9.93

$2.80 ฿92.2

31.43%

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

$1.88 EC$5.08

$0.88 ฿28.93

113.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 EC$2.51

$0.49 ฿16.08

89.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 EC$7.32

$2.39 ฿78.5

13.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 EC$9.21

$3.71 ฿122

-8.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 EC$5.62

$1.79 ฿58.7

16.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 EC$5.12

$1.44 ฿47.38

31.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 EC$4.48

$1.58 ฿52.1

5.06%

Eggs

$4.73 EC$12.78

$2.13 ฿69.9

122.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 EC$29.81

$19.92 ฿655

-44.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 EC$24.73

$3.43 ฿113

167.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 EC$39.44

$11.33 ฿372

28.95%

Apples (1kg)

$8.65 EC$23.35

$2.95 ฿96.9

193.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 EC$4.55

$1.72 ฿56.6

-2.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.00 EC$21.59

$2.32 ฿76.4

244.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$14.84 EC$40.08

$2.08 ฿68.4

613.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 EC$9.12

$1.47 ฿48.33

129.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 EC$5.38

$1.36 ฿44.64

46.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 EC$5.91

$1.10 ฿36.12

99.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 EC$3.55

$0.57 ฿18.89

129.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.03 EC$24.38

$4.27 ฿140

111.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 EC$29.80

$18.42 ฿605

-40.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 EC$5.91

$1.87 ฿61.5

17.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 EC$15.14

$2.92 ฿96.0

92.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 EC$2.93

$2.22 ฿72.9

-50.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.23 EC$24.91

$3.03 ฿99.6

204.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 EC$4.21

$1.49 ฿49.04

4.70%

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

$25.5K EC$69.0K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

-5.86%

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

$37.1K EC$100.2K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

35.24%

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

$124 EC$334

$103 ฿3,379

20.23%

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

$87.1 EC$235

$10.99 ฿361

692.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.46 EC$131

$17.51 ฿576

176.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 EC$110

$53.5 ฿1,760

-23.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$5.49 EC$14.82

$7.48 ฿246

-26.60%

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

$214 EC$579

$557 ฿18.3K

-61.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 EC$224

$64.1 ฿2,106

29.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 EC$140

$29.07 ฿956

77.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 EC$303

$96.0 ฿3,154

16.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 EC$298

$90.3 ฿2,970

22.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 EC$1,219

$730 ฿24.0K

-38.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 EC$923

$500 ฿16.4K

-31.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 EC$3,307

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-41.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 EC$1,903

$1,209 ฿39.7K

-41.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$101 EC$273

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-97.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$63.8 EC$172

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-97.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,094 EC$2,955

$503 ฿16.5K

117.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.75

5.57

39.14%

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

Last update for Castries: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $451 in Castries versus $730 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 117% higher in Castries, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Castries versus $33.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $273 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Castries vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castries costs about 13% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,133 per month in Castries and $1,880 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,422 in Castries and $1,253 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $214 per month in Castries and $557 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,253, than in Castries at $1,422. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Castries it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,253 versus $1,422 in Castries. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Castries makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.