Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kingston

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,668 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kingston

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,668 in Kingston.

Phuket $1,207
Kingston $1,668

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $2,812 in Kingston.

Phuket $2,037
Kingston $2,812

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $3,955 in Kingston.

Phuket $2,867
Kingston $3,955

Living in Phuket costs roughly 28% less than in Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Kingston is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$13.29 JMD 2,099

-65.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$73.8 JMD 11.7K

-55.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$8.14 JMD 1,285

5.04%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$5.45 JMD 861

-50.09%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.14 JMD 180

-17.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.72 JMD 115

-31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.16 JMD 341

19.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.11 JMD 491

23.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$4.19 JMD 661

-58.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$3.78 JMD 598

-62.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.61 JMD 254

-4.97%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.48 JMD 550

-37.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$11.40 JMD 1,801

67.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$6.35 JMD 1,003

-48.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$10.40 JMD 1,644

7.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$6.05 JMD 957

-51.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$3.82 JMD 604

-56.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$7.25 JMD 1,146

-68.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$3.06 JMD 484

-30.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$3.21 JMD 506

-52.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$2.62 JMD 415

-48.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$3.13 JMD 494

-64.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.44 JMD 228

-61.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$9.48 JMD 1,498

-55.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$11.36 JMD 1,795

60.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$2.86 JMD 453

-39.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$3.88 JMD 613

-28.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.75 JMD 119

196.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$37.27 JMD 5,888

-40.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.22 JMD 192

138.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$3.20 JMD 505

-68.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$6.31 JMD 996

-39.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.39 JMD 219

7.19%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

-39.76%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

-18.52%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$167 JMD 26.4K

-40.43%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$29.86 JMD 4,717

-62.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$53.4 JMD 8,443

-67.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$61.9 JMD 9,787

-15.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$17.61 JMD 2,782

-38.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$13.15 JMD 2,078

-42.43%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$359 JMD 56.7K

55.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$8,382 JMD 1.3M

37.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$23.75 JMD 3,752

164.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$31.13 JMD 4,918

-8.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$76.9 JMD 12.2K

24.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$100 JMD 15.9K

-12.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$975 JMD 154.0K

-25.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$563 JMD 89.0K

-18.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$2,142 JMD 338.5K

-2.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$1,421 JMD 224.6K

-14.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$2,876 JMD 454.4K

20.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$2,044 JMD 323.0K

21.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$735 JMD 116.1K

-32.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.45

-41.06%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kingston: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Kingston

$563 33.8% 22.4% $103

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Kingston

$384 23% 43.6% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Kingston

$250 15% 95.4% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Kingston

$105 6.3% 15.7% $20

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Kingston

$221 13.2% 81.8% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Kingston

$88 5.3% 30.9% $21

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Kingston

$57 3.5% 47.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $975 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 49% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $74.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $384 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇯🇲 Kingston

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

12:35 12:35 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

660,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Kingston 17,090 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kingston

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 Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Kingston. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $975 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $359 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,668 in Kingston, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kingston. 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 $1,207 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kingston 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 38% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.