Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Frederiksted

For one person, living is cheaper in Frederiksted: $355 a month against $1,190 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Frederiksted

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Frederiksted

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 Frederiksted actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Phuket vs $355 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Phuket $1,190
Frederiksted $355

A couple spends around $2,006 per month in Phuket vs $745 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Phuket $2,006
Frederiksted $745

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Phuket vs $1,136 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Phuket $2,822
Frederiksted $1,136

Phuket costs about 235% more than Frederiksted, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Frederiksted are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Frederiksted 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$30.02 $30.02

-85.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$79.4 $79.4

-59.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

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

$0.87 ฿29.31

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.40

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$7.17 $7.17

-63.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$8.04 $8.04

-54.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.45

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.98

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.43

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.74

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.45

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.91

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

$26.3K ฿882.6K

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

$26.2K ฿877.8K

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

$96.7 ฿3,238

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

$11.41 ฿382

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,769

$60.8 $60.8

-13.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

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

$555 ฿18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,124

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,240

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,968

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$1,343 $1,343

-45.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿117.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Frederiksted: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Frederiksted

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Frederiksted

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Frederiksted

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Frederiksted

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Frederiksted

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Frederiksted

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Frederiksted

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $735 in Phuket versus $1,343 in Frederiksted. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $79.0 in Frederiksted. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇻🇮 Frederiksted

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

19:17 7:17 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

528

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 33.5 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Frederiksted 16,630 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Frederiksted

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 Frederiksted: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 235%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Phuket and $532 in Frederiksted. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Frederiksted, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,190 in Phuket and $355 in Frederiksted. That's a gap of about 235%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $79.0 in Frederiksted. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Frederiksted, where all-in costs run around $355, than in Phuket at $1,190. In Frederiksted it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Frederiksted – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Frederiksted. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.