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 $3,125 in Philipsburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $6,156 in Philipsburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $9,187 in Philipsburg.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 61% less than in Philipsburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Philipsburg is 128% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$15.29 ANG 27.30

-71.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$70.4 ANG 126

-54.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$8.31 ANG 14.82

7.46%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$4.23 ANG 7.55

-31.44%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.82 ANG 5.03

-68.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$3.94 ANG 7.03

-87.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.96 ANG 5.28

-20.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$6.42 ANG 11.47

-42.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.93 ANG 5.23

-36.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.64 ANG 4.70

-44.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.51 ANG 4.48

-38.25%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$6.49 ANG 11.59

-67.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$18.68 ANG 33.34

4.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$14.20 ANG 25.34

-75.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$14.91 ANG 26.62

-23.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.09 ANG 9.09

-41.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$5.07 ANG 9.04

-66.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$8.83 ANG 15.77

-74.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$7.65 ANG 13.66

-71.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$3.90 ANG 6.96

-61.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$4.11 ANG 7.33

-67.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$5.13 ANG 9.15

-77.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.29 ANG 2.31

-57.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$7.76 ANG 13.86

-45.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$10.90 ANG 19.45

75.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$5.15 ANG 9.19

-65.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$2.29 ANG 4.09

-2.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$1.53 ANG 2.74

1386.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$14.82 ANG 26.45

-79.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

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

$102 ฿3,420

$149 ANG 265

-31.00%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$32.43 ANG 57.9

-65.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$65.6 ANG 117

-73.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$62.0 ANG 111

-16.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$10.88 ANG 19.42

-29.32%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$250 ANG 447

124.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$12.0K ANG 21.5K

-4.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$2,158 ANG 3,852

-65.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$1,998 ANG 3,566

-75.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$6,575 ANG 11.7K

-67.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$6,605 ANG 11.8K

-81.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,128 ANG 2,014

-56.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.40%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Philipsburg: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $2,158 in Philipsburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Philipsburg pays 129% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $70.0 in Philipsburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $496 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 154% 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, salaries run 129% lower in Philipsburg. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $2,158 in Philipsburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Philipsburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $70.0 in Philipsburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,125 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 154% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.