Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Old Harbour and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Old Harbour: $1,005 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Old Harbour, Jamaica
Phuket, Thailand
Old Harbour
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,005
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,005 in Old Harbour versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • Old Harbour $1,005
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,664 in Old Harbour versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • Old Harbour $1,664
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,322 in Old Harbour versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • Old Harbour $2,322
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in Old Harbour costs roughly 21% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Old Harbour 26% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Old Harbour
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.35 JMD 2,109
$4.47 ฿151
198.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.0 JMD 11.9K
$32.41 ฿1,093
131.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.40 JMD 1,326
$8.81 ฿297
-4.65%
Cappuccino
$5.23 JMD 826
$2.83 ฿95.4
84.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 JMD 180
$0.87 ฿29.41
31.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 JMD 115
$0.49 ฿16.65
48.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.19 JMD 345
$2.56 ฿86.3
-14.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 JMD 509
$3.68 ฿124
-12.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Old Harbour
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$4.24 JMD 670
$1.66 ฿55.9
155.42%
White Bread (500g)
$3.83 JMD 605
$1.46 ฿49.31
162.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.56 JMD 246
$1.50 ฿50.5
4.00%
Eggs
$3.47 JMD 549
$2.09 ฿70.5
66.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.44 JMD 1,807
$19.07 ฿643
-40.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.34 JMD 1,002
$3.30 ฿111
92.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.13 JMD 1,601
$10.91 ฿368
-7.15%
Apples (1kg)
$6.06 JMD 958
$2.93 ฿98.9
106.83%
Banana (1kg)
$4.00 JMD 632
$1.69 ฿57.0
136.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.38 JMD 1,165
$2.25 ฿75.8
228.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.01 JMD 475
$2.08 ฿70.0
44.71%
Potato (1kg)
$3.23 JMD 510
$1.51 ฿51.0
113.91%
Onion (1kg)
$2.60 JMD 411
$1.38 ฿46.52
88.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.02 JMD 478
$1.07 ฿35.96
182.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 JMD 236
$0.52 ฿17.51
188.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.31 JMD 1,470
$4.20 ฿142
121.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.26 JMD 1,779
$18.79 ฿634
-40.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.85 JMD 450
$1.82 ฿61.5
56.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.93 JMD 621
$2.84 ฿95.8
38.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Old Harbour
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.45 ฿48.98
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$56.7 ฿1,912
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 JMD 202
$3.02 ฿102
-57.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.23 JMD 510
$1.02 ฿34.33
216.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.45 JMD 1,020
$3.69 ฿125
74.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 JMD 231
$1.47 ฿49.76
-0.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.9K JMD 6.9M
$26.8K ฿903.4K
63.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.4K JMD 5.1M
$26.7K ฿900.5K
21.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Old Harbour
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$165 JMD 26.1K
$96.4 ฿3,251
71.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.91 JMD 4,725
$11.26 ฿380
165.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.8 JMD 8,501
$16.85 ฿568
219.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Old Harbour
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$67.2 ฿2,268
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.73 ฿362
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.48 JMD 2,130
$7.50 ฿253
79.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Old Harbour
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$358 JMD 56.6K
$476 ฿16.1K
-24.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,285 JMD 1.3M
$11.3K ฿380.0K
-26.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Old Harbour
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.81 JMD 3,762
$62.4 ฿2,104
-61.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.92 JMD 5,044
$28.41 ฿958
12.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.5 JMD 12.4K
$94.3 ฿3,181
-16.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 JMD 16.1K
$85.8 ฿2,895
18.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Old Harbour
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$716 ฿24.2K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$491 ฿16.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,927 ฿65.0K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,175 ฿140.9K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,045 ฿102.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Old Harbour
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$502 ฿16.9K
-
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 Old Harbour: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Old Harbour
$386
Phuket
$266 31% $119
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Old Harbour
$249
Phuket
$124 50% $124
Eating Out
Old Harbour
$220
Phuket
$122 44.6% $98
Clothing & Footwear
Old Harbour
$106
Phuket
$122 14.6% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Old Harbour
$27 *
Phuket
$82 205% $55
Getting Around
Old Harbour
$17 *
Phuket
$71 305% $53
Accommodation & Living
Old Harbour
- *
Phuket
$491

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $75 in Old Harbour vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇲 Old Harbour
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
08:17 8:17 AM
20:17 8:17 PM
12 h ahead of Old Harbour
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
26,024
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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Old Harbour Phuket 17,100 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Old Harbour
  • 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
Old Harbour vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Old Harbour and in Phuket?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,005 in Old Harbour and $1,278 in Phuket, so Old Harbour is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Old Harbour compared to Phuket?
You’d need roughly $1,507 in Old Harbour 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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Old Harbour and Phuket?
Childcare runs $358 in Old Harbour 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 $75 in Old Harbour. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How far does $2,000 go in Old Harbour compared to Phuket?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Old Harbour gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Old Harbour 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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