Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Basseterre

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,454 in Basseterre, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Basseterre
🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis
$1,454
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Basseterre

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Basseterre actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,454 in Basseterre, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Basseterre $1,454

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,560 in Basseterre, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Basseterre $1,560

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,666 in Basseterre, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Basseterre $1,666

Phuket is about 12% cheaper than Basseterre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Basseterre is 7% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Basseterre
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$18.78 EC$50.7
-76.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
-
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$13.99 EC$37.78
-37.03%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$3.67 EC$9.90
-22.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.42
$1.99 EC$5.38
-56.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.66
$2.25 EC$6.06
-78.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$2.09 EC$5.65
22.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$3.74 EC$10.10
-1.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Basseterre
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$2.41 EC$6.51
-31.12%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.32
$3.79 EC$10.24
-61.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$3.64 EC$9.82
-58.79%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$5.46 EC$14.73
-61.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$9.41 EC$25.40
-64.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$4.38 EC$11.82
-33.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$3.02 EC$8.15
-44.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$3.63 EC$9.79
-42.70%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$2.16 EC$5.84
-30.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.54
$1.89 EC$5.10
-26.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.97
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.64 EC$1.74
-18.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.82 EC$4.93
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$3.61 EC$9.75
-21.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Basseterre
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.00
$2.20 EC$5.95
-34.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$20.19 EC$54.5
-85.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.34
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.78
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.7K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.8K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Basseterre
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,252
$87.9 EC$237
9.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$39.45 EC$107
-71.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Basseterre
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,269
$37.23 EC$101
80.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$6.37 EC$17.19
17.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Basseterre
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.1K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Basseterre
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,105
$88.5 EC$239
-29.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,182
$132 EC$355
-28.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,896
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Basseterre
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$691 EC$1,867
3.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$640 EC$1,728
-23.30%
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
$5,012 EC$13.5K
-16.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$3,994 EC$10.8K
-23.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Basseterre
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$1,127 EC$3,042
-55.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4
39.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Basseterre: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Basseterre
–
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Basseterre
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Basseterre
–
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Basseterre
–
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Basseterre
–
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Basseterre
–
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Basseterre
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $691 in Basseterre. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Basseterre are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇰🇳 Basseterre
🕒 Local time
15:02 3:02 PM
04:02 4:02 AM
11 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
13,220 Capital
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.01 XCD (1 XCD = 0.332 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Basseterre 16,530 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Basseterre

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
Phuket vs Basseterre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Basseterre compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $1,454 in Basseterre – Phuket comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Basseterre?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,182 in Basseterre. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Phuket and in Basseterre?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $716 in Phuket and $691 in Basseterre. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city is more expensive overall: Phuket or Basseterre?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,454 in Basseterre. That makes Phuket about 12% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Basseterre – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Basseterre?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,454 in Basseterre. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Phuket and Basseterre?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Basseterre makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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