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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,482 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,489 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,496 in Kingston.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 16% less than in Kingston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Kingston is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$7.46 JMD 1,176

-39.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,550

$61.7 JMD 9,720

-25.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$8.58 JMD 1,352

3.03%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$4.39 JMD 692

-30.30%

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

$0.73 ฿24.36

$1.33 JMD 209

-45.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.37

$0.74 JMD 117

-45.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.6

$2.43 JMD 383

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.10 JMD 489

21.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿75.8

$4.33 JMD 682

-47.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$3.49 JMD 551

-48.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.64 JMD 258

37.20%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.4

$3.61 JMD 568

-37.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿655

$11.20 JMD 1,765

74.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿122

$6.45 JMD 1,016

-43.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿438

$7.82 JMD 1,232

66.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$5.99 JMD 945

-46.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$2.98 JMD 470

-45.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.0

$4.21 JMD 663

-43.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.0

$2.90 JMD 457

-30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.5

$2.02 JMD 319

-24.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$2.00 JMD 315

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$3.01 JMD 475

-67.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.36

$1.51 JMD 238

-65.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$8.61 JMD 1,357

-48.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿615

$11.47 JMD 1,808

59.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$2.78 JMD 438

-33.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.0

$3.04 JMD 480

-11.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.37

$0.81 JMD 128

74.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$49.18 JMD 7,751

-76.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿104

$1.09 JMD 171

185.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.00

$3.22 JMD 507

-67.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.34 JMD 999

122.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.02

$1.24 JMD 196

5.65%

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

$27.8K ฿933.8K

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

-35.98%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

-2.58%

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

$122 ฿4,110

$161 JMD 25.3K

-23.86%

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

$13.59 ฿456

$22.24 JMD 3,504

-38.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿628

$52.0 JMD 8,191

-64.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,031

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

-12.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿570

$15.91 JMD 2,508

6.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$13.38 JMD 2,109

-32.21%

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

$706 ฿23.7K

$222 JMD 35.0K

217.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿530.5K

$2,532 JMD 399.1K

524.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,965

$25.81 JMD 4,068

126.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,187

$25.49 JMD 4,017

38.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,876

$70.8 JMD 11.2K

63.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,811

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

11.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$880 JMD 138.6K

-28.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿14.9K

$451 JMD 71.2K

-1.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.5K

$2,007 JMD 316.2K

1.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.1K

$1,188 JMD 187.2K

25.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿116.9K

$2,866 JMD 451.6K

21.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.5K

$2,153 JMD 339.4K

19.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$732 JMD 115.4K

-31.73%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kingston: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $880 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 46% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $62.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $351 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 19% 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 46% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $880 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 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 $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,482 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 $1,250 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 19% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.