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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $859 in Negril.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,358 in Negril.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,856 in Negril.

Living in Phuket is roughly 47% more expensive than Negril, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Negril 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$7.46 JMD 1,173

-38.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$50.1 JMD 7,882

-6.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$8.56 JMD 1,347

-1.05%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.06 JMD 323

47.09%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$1.32 JMD 208

-47.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.76 JMD 119

-51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$2.47 JMD 389

0.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$3.09 JMD 487

18.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$4.21 JMD 662

-48.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$3.49 JMD 549

-45.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.57 JMD 248

40.13%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$3.41 JMD 536

-34.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$10.85 JMD 1,707

84.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$6.29 JMD 989

-41.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$7.67 JMD 1,206

72.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$5.99 JMD 942

-46.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$3.03 JMD 476

-43.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$4.29 JMD 675

-44.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.93 JMD 461

-29.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$2.08 JMD 327

-23.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$1.95 JMD 307

-24.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$3.07 JMD 484

-66.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$1.49 JMD 234

-65.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$9.03 JMD 1,420

-52.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$11.59 JMD 1,823

62.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$2.79 JMD 439

-36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$3.20 JMD 504

-13.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$1.09 JMD 171

188.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$3.24 JMD 510

-67.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$6.15 JMD 967

123.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$1.28 JMD 201

4.69%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$42.9K JMD 6.7M

-35.47%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

-0.79%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$164 JMD 25.8K

-24.52%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$22.38 JMD 3,520

-39.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$51.6 JMD 8,121

-63.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$13.20 JMD 2,076

-30.76%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$230 JMD 36.2K

205.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$2,528 JMD 397.6K

527.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$26.42 JMD 4,156

125.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$25.97 JMD 4,085

35.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$70.8 JMD 11.1K

62.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$77.4 JMD 12.2K

8.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$984 JMD 154.7K

-37.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

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 7, 2026

Last update for Negril: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $984 in Negril. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $50.0 in Negril for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 47% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $859 including rent). Negril is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,289 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 $984 in Negril. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 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 $859 in Negril versus $1,261 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 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.