Cost of Living Comparison Between Ocho Rios and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ocho Rios and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $904 in Ocho Rios versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,927 in Ocho Rios versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,950 in Ocho Rios versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Ocho Rios costs roughly 28% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 JMD 1,200

$4.55 ฿153

67.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 JMD 9,793

$46.18 ฿1,554

34.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 JMD 983

$8.84 ฿298

-29.41%

Cappuccino

$2.79 JMD 440

$3.06 ฿103

-8.82%

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

$1.37 JMD 217

$0.73 ฿24.42

87.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$0.40 ฿13.40

85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 JMD 350

$2.43 ฿81.8

-8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 JMD 484

$3.78 ฿127

-18.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.08 JMD 644

$2.26 ฿76.0

80.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 JMD 441

$1.81 ฿60.9

54.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 JMD 245

$2.25 ฿75.8

-30.67%

Eggs

$3.53 JMD 556

$2.25 ฿75.6

56.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.64 JMD 1,046

$19.51 ฿656

-65.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.47 JMD 1,020

$3.65 ฿123

77.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 JMD 1,189

$13.05 ฿439

-42.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.08 JMD 958

$3.23 ฿109

88.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 JMD 495

$1.62 ฿54.4

93.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 JMD 684

$2.38 ฿80.2

82.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 JMD 370

$2.03 ฿68.2

15.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 JMD 321

$1.53 ฿51.6

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$1.50 ฿50.5

28.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 JMD 330

$0.98 ฿32.93

114.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 JMD 177

$0.52 ฿17.40

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.97 JMD 1,414

$4.44 ฿149

102.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.70 JMD 1,528

$18.32 ฿616

-47.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 JMD 382

$1.86 ฿62.7

30.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 JMD 460

$2.68 ฿90.2

8.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 JMD 252

$1.41 ฿47.49

13.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 JMD 104

$3.11 ฿105

-78.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 JMD 147

$1.04 ฿35.08

-10.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 JMD 981

$14.11 ฿475

-55.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 JMD 196

$1.31 ฿44.13

-5.34%

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

$42.5K JMD 6.7M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

52.89%

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

$33.9K JMD 5.3M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

1.95%

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

$107 JMD 16.8K

$122 ฿4,120

-12.89%

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

$21.93 JMD 3,456

$13.59 ฿457

61.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.44 JMD 6,215

$18.70 ฿629

110.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.78 JMD 2,487

$60.5 ฿2,035

-73.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.71 JMD 900

$16.98 ฿572

-66.37%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 JMD 1,782

$9.07 ฿305

24.70%

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

$228 JMD 35.9K

$706 ฿23.8K

-67.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,464 JMD 388.4K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-84.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.78 JMD 2,487

$58.6 ฿1,970

-73.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.51 JMD 1,971

$35.36 ฿1,190

-64.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.26 JMD 7,763

$115 ฿3,885

-57.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.4 JMD 9,831

$83.7 ฿2,818

-25.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$372 JMD 58.6K

$626 ฿21.1K

-40.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 JMD 29.5K

$445 ฿15.0K

-57.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 JMD 188.2K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-41.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 JMD 186.5K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-20.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-6.19%

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

Last update for Ocho Rios: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $372 in Ocho Rios and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Ocho Rios vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $311 vs $289 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Ocho Rios vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ocho Rios is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,355 in Ocho Rios and $1,875 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $372 in Ocho Rios versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $228 in Ocho Rios versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ocho Rios – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $904 in Ocho Rios versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ocho Rios but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ocho Rios the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ocho Rios is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ocho Rios and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ocho Rios gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.