Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castries and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,438 in Castries, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. The total is higher in Castries despite lower rent and utilities.

70

Cost of Living Index in Castries
Learn more

Castries Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Castries

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia

$1,438

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Castries and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Castries and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,438 per month in Castries vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Castries $1,438
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $2,357 per month in Castries vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Castries $2,357
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $3,276 per month in Castries vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Castries $3,276
Phuket $2,845

Castries costs about 19% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Castries sits 6% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.45 EC$25.52

$4.40 ฿147

114.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 EC$199

$32.26 ฿1,078

128.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 EC$23.12

$8.76 ฿293

-2.28%

Cappuccino

$3.81 EC$10.29

$2.83 ฿94.5

34.63%

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

$1.98 EC$5.34

$0.90 ฿30.14

120.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 EC$2.65

$0.47 ฿15.56

108.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 EC$7.58

$2.55 ฿85.2

10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 EC$8.75

$3.83 ฿128

-15.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 EC$5.48

$1.73 ฿57.7

17.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 EC$4.88

$1.47 ฿49.11

23.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 EC$4.46

$1.51 ฿50.6

9.27%

Eggs

$4.74 EC$12.81

$2.17 ฿72.7

118.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 EC$29.69

$19.70 ฿658

-44.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 EC$24.46

$3.34 ฿112

171.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 EC$39.15

$11.16 ฿373

29.93%

Apples (1kg)

$8.79 EC$23.73

$2.85 ฿95.1

208.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 EC$4.34

$1.70 ฿56.9

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.28 EC$22.36

$2.19 ฿73.3

278.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$14.53 EC$39.22

$2.05 ฿68.4

608.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 EC$9.31

$1.45 ฿48.57

137.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 EC$5.37

$1.38 ฿46.16

44.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 EC$6.16

$1.07 ฿35.69

113.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 EC$3.47

$0.51 ฿16.91

150.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.17 EC$24.77

$4.26 ฿142

115.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.99 EC$29.66

$18.58 ฿621

-40.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 EC$5.97

$1.78 ฿59.7

24.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 EC$14.57

$2.85 ฿95.2

89.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 EC$2.93

$2.26 ฿75.6

-52.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.47 EC$25.57

$3.01 ฿101

214.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 EC$4.21

$1.45 ฿48.45

7.59%

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

$26.0K EC$70.1K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-1.36%

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

$37.1K EC$100.2K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

37.77%

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

$121 EC$327

$96.4 ฿3,221

25.63%

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

$87.8 EC$237

$11.04 ฿369

695.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.26 EC$133

$17.14 ฿573

187.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.19 EC$111

$52.2 ฿1,744

-21.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$5.67 EC$15.30

$7.81 ฿261

-27.40%

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

$214 EC$579

$556 ฿18.6K

-61.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 EC$222

$64.2 ฿2,146

27.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 EC$137

$28.69 ฿959

77.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 EC$294

$95.4 ฿3,187

14.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 EC$301

$88.0 ฿2,940

26.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 EC$1,212

$737 ฿24.6K

-39.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 EC$937

$462 ฿15.5K

-24.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 EC$3,300

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-41.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 EC$1,910

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-41.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$102 EC$274

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-97.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$64.5 EC$174

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-97.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 EC$2,952

$501 ฿16.7K

118.36%

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: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Castries

$428 29.7%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 37.2% $159

Accommodation & Living

Castries

$347 24.2%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 33.2% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castries

$258 18%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 51.8% $134

Eating Out

Castries

$179 12.5%

Phuket

$121 10% 32.4% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Castries

$159 11.1%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 21.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Castries

$53 3.7%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 29.1% $15

Getting Around

Castries

$14 * 1%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 186% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $449 in Castries versus $737 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 118% 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 $74.0 in Castries versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $428 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇨 Castries

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:28 12:28 AM

11:28 11:28 AM

11 h ahead of Castries

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,000 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.329 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.04 XCD (1 XCD = 0.329 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Castries Phuket 16,680 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Castries
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 19% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,157 per month in Castries and $1,813 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 $1,438 in Castries and $1,208 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 19%.

Kindergarten costs $214 per month in Castries and $556 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 $1,208, than in Castries at $1,438. 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 $1,208 versus $1,438 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.