Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Philipsburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Philipsburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,108 in Philipsburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $5,697 in Philipsburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $8,287 in Philipsburg.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 60% less than in Philipsburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Philipsburg is 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$14.94 ANG 26.75

-69.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$73.9 ANG 132

-36.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.05 ANG 14.41

9.81%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$4.31 ANG 7.72

-30.39%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$3.04 ANG 5.44

-75.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$3.78 ANG 6.76

-90.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.91 ANG 5.21

-16.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.92 ANG 8.81

-26.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.93 ANG 5.24

-22.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$3.04 ANG 5.44

-39.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$3.05 ANG 5.46

-26.56%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$6.37 ANG 11.41

-63.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$18.65 ANG 33.38

5.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$16.98 ANG 30.39

-78.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$19.82 ANG 35.48

-33.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$6.08 ANG 10.89

-44.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$6.06 ANG 10.85

-72.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$9.05 ANG 16.20

-73.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$6.19 ANG 11.08

-67.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$4.09 ANG 7.32

-61.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$4.11 ANG 7.35

-63.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$4.42 ANG 7.90

-76.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.95 ANG 3.49

-74.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$7.97 ANG 14.27

-44.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.86 ANG 19.44

73.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.28 ANG 5.86

-45.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.88 ANG 5.16

-4.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.46 ANG 2.60

-4.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$14.75 ANG 26.41

-78.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$4.88 ANG 8.74

-79.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.37 ANG 2.44

-1.46%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$125 ฿4,087

$224 ANG 402

-44.30%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$32.93 ANG 59.0

-58.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$71.0 ANG 127

-73.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$62.5 ANG 112

-1.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$13.22 ANG 23.66

-30.48%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$369 ANG 661

89.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$11.3K ANG 20.3K

37.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$1,987 ANG 3,557

-69.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$1,875 ANG 3,356

-76.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$5,720 ANG 10.2K

-64.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$5,597 ANG 10.0K

-73.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,955 ANG 5,289

27.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,102 ANG 1,973

-52.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.75

-7.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Philipsburg: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $1,987 in Philipsburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Philipsburg pays 110% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $74.0 in Philipsburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $537 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 Philipsburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 152% lower than in Philipsburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Philipsburg earns 110% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $1,987 in Philipsburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Philipsburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $3,108 in Philipsburg – a 152% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,108 in Philipsburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Philipsburg. 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 $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Philipsburg 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 152% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.