Cost of Living Comparison Between Philipsburg and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Philipsburg and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,160 in Philipsburg versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,809 in Philipsburg versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,458 in Philipsburg versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Philipsburg is roughly 150% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Philipsburg is 137% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.11 ANG 26.98

$4.48 ฿150

237.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 ANG 136

$45.59 ฿1,521

66.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 ANG 14.68

$8.76 ฿292

-6.16%

Cappuccino

$4.25 ANG 7.58

$2.97 ฿99.0

43.10%

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

$2.93 ANG 5.22

$0.69 ฿22.90

324.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ANG 6.64

$0.39 ฿13.04

853.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 ANG 5.30

$2.53 ฿84.4

17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 ANG 8.88

$3.75 ฿125

32.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.93 ANG 5.23

$2.15 ฿71.6

36.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ANG 5.69

$1.82 ฿60.6

75.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 ANG 5.26

$2.18 ฿72.9

34.86%

Eggs

$6.33 ANG 11.31

$2.25 ฿75.0

181.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.26 ANG 32.59

$20.00 ฿667

-8.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.79 ANG 29.98

$3.63 ฿121

362.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 ANG 34.62

$13.56 ฿452

43.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.90 ANG 10.54

$3.24 ฿108

82.10%

Banana (1kg)

$6.12 ANG 10.92

$1.64 ฿54.6

273.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$9.09 ANG 16.22

$2.33 ฿77.8

290.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.45 ANG 11.52

$2.07 ฿69.1

211.59%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 ANG 7.28

$1.55 ฿51.6

163.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 ANG 7.00

$1.46 ฿48.54

168.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.46 ANG 7.97

$0.98 ฿32.86

355.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 ANG 3.49

$0.48 ฿16.09

308.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.18 ANG 14.61

$4.35 ฿145

88.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 ANG 19.37

$18.57 ฿620

-41.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 ANG 6.00

$1.86 ฿61.9

80.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ANG 5.01

$2.65 ฿88.6

6.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 ANG 2.71

$1.42 ฿47.28

7.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.15 ANG 27.04

$3.17 ฿106

377.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.86 ANG 8.67

$1.03 ฿34.41

371.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ANG 2.53

$1.34 ฿44.84

5.97%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

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

$229 ANG 410

$123 ฿4,105

86.49%

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

$32.15 ANG 57.4

$13.77 ฿459

133.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 ANG 127

$18.33 ฿611

289.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ANG 110

$60.7 ฿2,025

1.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 ANG 23.63

$8.87 ฿296

49.27%

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

$380 ANG 679

$688 ฿22.9K

-44.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K ANG 19.9K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-29.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,931 ANG 3,447

$621 ฿20.7K

210.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,876 ANG 3,348

$446 ฿14.9K

320.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,653 ANG 10.1K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

177.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,752 ANG 10.3K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

284.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 ANG 1,991

$494 ฿16.5K

125.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

5.33

7.88%

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

Last update for Philipsburg: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,931 in Philipsburg and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Philipsburg pays 126% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $76.0 in Philipsburg vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $536 vs $291 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

Philipsburg vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 150% lower than in Philipsburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 126% higher in Philipsburg, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,931 in Philipsburg versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Philipsburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,160 per month in Philipsburg versus $1,264 in Phuket – a 150% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $3,160 in Philipsburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Philipsburg. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,264 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Philipsburg 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 150% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.