Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Negril and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Negril: $927 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Negril, Jamaica
Phuket, Thailand
Negril
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$927
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Negril versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • Negril $927
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,478 in Negril versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • Negril $1,478
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,029 in Negril versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • Negril $2,029
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in Negril costs roughly 27% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Negril 32% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Negril
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.68 JMD 1,526
$4.47 ฿151
116.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.26 JMD 7,767
$32.41 ฿1,094
51.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.05 JMD 1,269
$8.81 ฿297
-8.63%
Cappuccino
$2.05 JMD 323
$2.83 ฿95.5
-27.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15 JMD 181
$0.87 ฿29.43
32.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 JMD 117
$0.49 ฿16.67
51.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.16 JMD 341
$2.56 ฿86.4
-15.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 JMD 503
$3.68 ฿124
-13.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Negril
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$4.02 JMD 634
$1.66 ฿56.0
142.17%
White Bread (500g)
$3.37 JMD 532
$1.46 ฿49.35
130.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.58 JMD 249
$1.50 ฿50.6
5.33%
Eggs
$3.51 JMD 554
$2.09 ฿70.5
67.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.25 JMD 1,773
$19.07 ฿644
-41.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.33 JMD 998
$3.30 ฿111
91.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.19 JMD 1,606
$10.91 ฿368
-6.60%
Apples (1kg)
$6.06 JMD 956
$2.93 ฿99.0
106.83%
Banana (1kg)
$3.96 JMD 624
$1.69 ฿57.1
134.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.47 JMD 1,177
$2.25 ฿75.8
232.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.99 JMD 471
$2.08 ฿70.1
43.75%
Potato (1kg)
$3.15 JMD 497
$1.51 ฿51.0
108.61%
Onion (1kg)
$2.58 JMD 406
$1.38 ฿46.56
86.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.99 JMD 472
$1.07 ฿35.99
179.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 JMD 227
$0.52 ฿17.52
176.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.33 JMD 1,471
$4.20 ฿142
122.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.27 JMD 1,776
$18.79 ฿634
-40.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 JMD 460
$1.82 ฿61.5
60.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.94 JMD 622
$2.84 ฿95.9
38.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Negril
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.45 ฿49.03
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$56.7 ฿1,913
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.22 JMD 193
$3.02 ฿102
-59.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.23 JMD 509
$1.02 ฿34.36
216.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.36 JMD 1,002
$3.69 ฿125
72.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 JMD 232
$1.47 ฿49.81
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.7K JMD 6.9M
$26.8K ฿904.3K
63.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.6K JMD 5.1M
$26.7K ฿901.3K
22.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Negril
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$166 JMD 26.2K
$96.4 ฿3,254
72.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.95 JMD 4,722
$11.26 ฿380
165.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.9 JMD 8,179
$16.85 ฿569
207.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Negril
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$67.2 ฿2,270
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.73 ฿362
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.26 JMD 2,090
$7.50 ฿253
76.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Negril
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$362 JMD 57.0K
$476 ฿16.1K
-24.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,121 JMD 1.3M
$11.3K ฿380.4K
-27.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Negril
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.75 JMD 3,745
$62.4 ฿2,106
-61.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.90 JMD 4,873
$28.41 ฿959
8.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.9 JMD 12.1K
$94.3 ฿3,184
-18.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 JMD 16.4K
$85.8 ฿2,898
20.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Negril
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,005 JMD 158.5K
$716 ฿24.2K
40.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$491 ฿16.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,927 ฿65.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,175 ฿141.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Negril
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$502 ฿17.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.45
5.57
69.66%

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

Last update for Negril: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Negril
$378
Phuket
$266 29.6% $112
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Negril
$248
Phuket
$124 49.8% $124
Eating Out
Negril
$151
Phuket
$122 19.3% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Negril
$106
Phuket
$122 15.1% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Negril
$27 *
Phuket
$82 210% $56
Getting Around
Negril
$17 *
Phuket
$71 307% $53
Accommodation & Living
Negril
- *
Phuket
$491

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Negril and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49 in Negril vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇲 Negril
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
15:22 3:22 PM
03:22 3:22 AM
12 h ahead of Negril
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
13,779
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Negril Phuket 17,080 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Negril
  • 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
Negril vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Negril and in Phuket?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $927 in Negril and $1,278 in Phuket, so Negril is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Negril compared to Phuket?
You’d need roughly $1,390 in Negril and $1,917 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Negril and in Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,005 in Negril versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Negril and Phuket?
Childcare runs $362 in Negril versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $49 in Negril. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $927 in Negril versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Negril but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Negril the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Negril and Phuket?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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