Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charlotte Amalie and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,365 in Charlotte Amalie, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands
Phuket, Thailand
Charlotte Amalie
🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands
$2,365
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Charlotte Amalie 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 Charlotte Amalie and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,365 per month in Charlotte Amalie vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Charlotte Amalie $2,365
  • Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $4,182 per month in Charlotte Amalie vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Charlotte Amalie $4,182
  • Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $5,998 per month in Charlotte Amalie vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Charlotte Amalie $5,998
  • Phuket $3,115

Charlotte Amalie costs about 83% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Charlotte Amalie sits 75% above the global median, while Phuket is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Charlotte Amalie
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.12 $25.12
$4.39 ฿147
472.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$118 $118
$32.31 ฿1,083
266.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.79 $12.79
$8.70 ฿292
47.01%
Cappuccino
$7.22 $7.22
$2.72 ฿91.3
165.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 $3.05
$0.93 ฿31.20
227.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 $2.46
$0.50 ฿16.75
392.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.39 $5.39
$2.53 ฿84.9
113.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.93 $6.93
$3.63 ฿122
90.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Charlotte Amalie
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.79 $2.79
$1.74 ฿58.3
60.34%
White Bread (500g)
$8.86 $8.86
$1.45 ฿48.64
511.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
-
$1.50 ฿50.4
-
Eggs
$7.17 $7.17
$2.17 ฿72.8
230.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$19.09 ฿640
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$3.40 ฿114
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$10.90 ฿365
-
Apples (1kg)
-
$2.94 ฿98.6
-
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.69 ฿56.7
-
Oranges (1kg)
-
$2.19 ฿73.6
-
Tomato (1kg)
-
$2.12 ฿71.2
-
Potato (1kg)
-
$1.46 ฿48.90
-
Onion (1kg)
-
$1.37 ฿45.87
-
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.08 ฿36.07
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.55 ฿18.29
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.92 $4.92
$4.43 ฿148
11.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.93 $19.93
$18.25 ฿612
9.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.77 ฿59.4
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.83 $6.83
$2.88 ฿96.6
137.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Charlotte Amalie
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$6.17 $6.17
$1.45 ฿48.53
325.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.9 ฿1,840
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$19.93 $19.93
$1.51 ฿50.7
1219.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.78 ฿26.01
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.84 ฿129
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 $1.35
$1.49 ฿49.87
-9.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$45.8K $45.8K
$26.9K ฿901.3K
70.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$48.7K $48.7K
$26.3K ฿883.4K
84.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Charlotte Amalie
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$301 $301
$97.8 ฿3,280
208.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$61.0 $61.0
$11.29 ฿379
440.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$101 $101
$17.19 ฿576
487.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Charlotte Amalie
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$199 $199
$68.3 ฿2,291
191.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.92 ฿366
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.84 $11.84
$7.43 ฿249
59.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Charlotte Amalie
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$530 ฿17.8K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$18.8K ฿629.7K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Charlotte Amalie
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$61.7 ฿2,068
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$28.25 ฿947
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.1 $89.1
$96.0 ฿3,219
-7.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$86.8 ฿2,911
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Charlotte Amalie
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,261 $1,261
$721 ฿24.2K
74.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 $1,006
$509 ฿17.1K
97.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,493 $3,493
$1,950 ฿65.4K
79.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,014 $3,014
$1,397 ฿46.8K
115.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,192 ฿140.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,298 ฿110.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Charlotte Amalie
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$492 ฿16.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
5.57
-

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

Last update for Charlotte Amalie: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Charlotte Amalie
–
Phuket
$509
Groceries & Markets
Charlotte Amalie
–
Phuket
$267
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Charlotte Amalie
–
Phuket
$126
Clothing & Footwear
Charlotte Amalie
–
Phuket
$123
Eating Out
Charlotte Amalie
–
Phuket
$120
Sport & Entertainment
Charlotte Amalie
–
Phuket
$83
Getting Around
Charlotte Amalie
–
Phuket
$66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,261 in Charlotte Amalie versus $721 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Charlotte Amalie versus $32 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $199 in Charlotte Amalie vs $267 in Phuket – so Charlotte Amalie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇻🇮 Charlotte Amalie
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
12:50 12:50 PM
23:50 11:50 PM
11 h ahead of Charlotte Amalie
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
14,477 Capital
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Charlotte Amalie Phuket 16,570 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Charlotte Amalie
  • 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
Charlotte Amalie vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Charlotte Amalie?
Yes – Charlotte Amalie is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,547 per month in Charlotte Amalie and $1,940 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $721 there versus $1,261 in Charlotte Amalie.
How do food prices compare in Charlotte Amalie and in Phuket?
Interestingly, groceries are about 26% cheaper in Charlotte Amalie – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is eating out cheaper in Charlotte Amalie or in Phuket?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Charlotte Amalie and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Charlotte Amalie or in Phuket?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Charlotte Amalie at $2,365. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Charlotte Amalie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Charlotte Amalie or in Phuket?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,294 in Phuket to $2,365 in Charlotte Amalie. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Charlotte Amalie vs other spots: cost of living compared

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