Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kingston Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kingston

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,451 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,475 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,498 in Kingston.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 13% less than in Kingston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Kingston is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$7.61 JMD 1,192

-38.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$62.0 JMD 9,707

-26.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$8.80 JMD 1,379

-4.20%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$4.36 JMD 682

-32.80%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.32 JMD 207

-47.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.74 JMD 117

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.57 JMD 403

-6.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.20 JMD 501

16.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$4.36 JMD 684

-48.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$3.66 JMD 573

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.57 JMD 246

38.22%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.47 JMD 543

-36.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$11.19 JMD 1,754

76.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.42 JMD 1,007

-43.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.82 JMD 1,225

73.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$5.96 JMD 933

-44.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$3.13 JMD 491

-48.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$4.30 JMD 673

-43.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.96 JMD 464

-29.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.03 JMD 317

-24.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.01 JMD 315

-26.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$3.12 JMD 489

-68.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.45 JMD 227

-64.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$8.89 JMD 1,393

-50.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$11.29 JMD 1,769

71.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.90 JMD 454

-38.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.20 JMD 502

-15.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.89 JMD 140

53.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$48.53 JMD 7,604

-76.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.12 JMD 176

169.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$3.15 JMD 494

-68.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.19 JMD 971

127.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.28 JMD 201

6.25%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$43.2K JMD 6.8M

-34.70%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

-2.58%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$163 JMD 25.5K

-25.25%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$22.49 JMD 3,523

-39.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$50.7 JMD 7,942

-63.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

-13.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$15.50 JMD 2,428

10.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$12.92 JMD 2,024

-32.74%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$222 JMD 34.8K

212.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$2,451 JMD 384.0K

540.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$25.73 JMD 4,032

131.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$25.24 JMD 3,955

37.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$72.4 JMD 11.3K

58.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$75.6 JMD 11.8K

10.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$880 JMD 137.9K

-30.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$451 JMD 70.7K

-3.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$2,021 JMD 316.7K

3.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,204 JMD 188.7K

25.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,863 JMD 448.5K

30.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,192 JMD 343.5K

19.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$732 JMD 114.7K

-30.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.15

-41.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kingston: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $880 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 44% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $62.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $353 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

Phuket vs Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 15% 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, Kingston earns 44% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $880 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $222 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,451 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 $1,265 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 15% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.