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: $928 in Ocho Rios versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,932 in Ocho Rios versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,936 in Ocho Rios versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Ocho Rios costs roughly 27% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ocho Rios 31% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.32 JMD 1,147

$4.70 ฿153

55.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.2 JMD 9,741

$45.37 ฿1,482

37.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 JMD 988

$8.43 ฿275

-25.27%

Cappuccino

$2.79 JMD 437

$2.93 ฿95.6

-4.78%

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

$1.38 JMD 216

$0.69 ฿22.40

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 JMD 119

$0.37 ฿11.99

105.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 JMD 353

$2.41 ฿78.6

-6.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 JMD 497

$3.72 ฿122

-14.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.95 JMD 619

$2.23 ฿72.9

77.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 JMD 426

$1.83 ฿59.8

48.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 JMD 244

$2.17 ฿70.8

-28.11%

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 544

$2.21 ฿72.3

57.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.48 JMD 1,015

$19.74 ฿645

-67.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 JMD 994

$3.63 ฿119

74.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 JMD 1,171

$13.53 ฿442

-44.79%

Apples (1kg)

$5.90 JMD 924

$3.28 ฿107

79.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 JMD 495

$1.61 ฿52.6

96.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 JMD 644

$2.41 ฿78.6

70.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 JMD 354

$2.08 ฿68.1

8.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 JMD 320

$1.53 ฿49.93

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 JMD 318

$1.48 ฿48.36

37.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 JMD 327

$0.99 ฿32.29

110.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 JMD 170

$0.51 ฿16.67

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.97 JMD 1,405

$4.41 ฿144

103.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.63 JMD 1,509

$19.38 ฿633

-50.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 JMD 384

$1.78 ฿58.1

37.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 JMD 473

$2.71 ฿88.6

11.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 JMD 242

$1.37 ฿44.79

12.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 JMD 101

$3.02 ฿98.6

-78.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 JMD 150

$0.99 ฿32.48

-3.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 JMD 1,000

$14.10 ฿461

-54.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 JMD 201

$1.36 ฿44.51

-5.88%

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

$42.9K JMD 6.7M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

52.15%

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

$33.9K JMD 5.3M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

2.97%

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

$103 JMD 16.2K

$122 ฿3,975

-15.09%

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

$22.01 JMD 3,448

$13.57 ฿443

62.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.06 JMD 5,963

$18.31 ฿598

107.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.73 JMD 2,465

$60.2 ฿1,967

-73.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.80 JMD 909

$17.14 ฿560

-66.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 JMD 1,795

$8.69 ฿284

31.88%

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

$224 JMD 35.1K

$693 ฿22.6K

-67.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,461 JMD 385.6K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-84.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.92 JMD 2,495

$59.5 ฿1,944

-73.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.36 JMD 1,937

$34.77 ฿1,136

-64.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.8 JMD 7,954

$115 ฿3,743

-55.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.2 JMD 9,902

$83.3 ฿2,720

-24.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 JMD 59.8K

$613 ฿20.0K

-37.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 JMD 28.9K

$437 ฿14.3K

-57.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 JMD 185.7K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-43.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 JMD 190.7K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-19.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $382 in Ocho Rios and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Ocho Rios vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $306 vs $293 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 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,391 in Ocho Rios and $1,898 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: $382 in Ocho Rios versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Ocho Rios versus $693 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 $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $928 in Ocho Rios versus $1,265 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 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.