Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Negril Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Negril

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Phuket versus $861 in Negril.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,352 in Negril.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $1,842 in Negril.

Living in Phuket is roughly 45% more expensive than Negril, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 7% lower, Negril 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$7.30 JMD 1,156

-37.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,500

$50.4 JMD 7,977

-7.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$8.96 JMD 1,418

-2.90%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$1.97 JMD 311

48.22%

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

$0.68 ฿21.90

$1.35 JMD 214

-49.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.69

$0.76 JMD 120

-47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.3

$2.48 JMD 393

1.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$3.07 JMD 485

23.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$4.19 JMD 663

-48.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$3.52 JMD 557

-46.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.1

$1.61 JMD 254

34.16%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.1

$3.47 JMD 548

-36.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$11.10 JMD 1,757

76.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$6.23 JMD 986

-39.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$7.73 JMD 1,223

73.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$6.06 JMD 960

-46.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.6

$3.00 JMD 474

-46.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿73.9

$4.18 JMD 661

-44.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿65.9

$3.04 JMD 482

-32.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.4

$2.10 JMD 333

-23.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.23

$2.01 JMD 318

-28.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿32.99

$3.13 JMD 496

-67.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.38

$1.44 JMD 227

-66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$9.02 JMD 1,428

-50.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿614

$11.36 JMD 1,799

68.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$2.78 JMD 440

-34.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$3.16 JMD 501

-14.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.13

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.5

$1.09 JMD 172

185.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.16

$3.13 JMD 495

-68.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿440

$6.14 JMD 972

123.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.58

$1.29 JMD 205

0.78%

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

$27.4K ฿876.5K

$43.1K JMD 6.8M

-36.55%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$33.6K JMD 5.3M

-1.61%

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

$125 ฿4,001

$164 JMD 26.0K

-23.91%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$22.52 JMD 3,564

-38.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿596

$51.2 JMD 8,105

-63.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,940

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿549

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$12.95 JMD 2,050

-30.42%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$230 JMD 36.4K

203.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.2K

$2,512 JMD 397.6K

541.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,897

$25.57 JMD 4,047

131.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,117

$25.37 JMD 4,015

37.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,659

$71.6 JMD 11.3K

59.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,749

$77.5 JMD 12.3K

10.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$1,011 JMD 160.0K

-38.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Negril: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,011 in Negril. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Phuket vs $50 in Negril for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $348 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 Negril: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Negril differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,247 vs $861 including rent). Negril is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,870 in Phuket and $1,292 in Negril to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $1,011 in Negril. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $230 in Negril. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Negril – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $861 in Negril versus $1,247 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Negril but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Negril the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Negril 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 Negril gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.