Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saint George's Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saint George's

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,226 in Saint George's.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,017 in Saint George's.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,807 in Saint George's.

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than Saint George's, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Saint George's 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$7.52 EC$20.31

-37.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$112 EC$303

-59.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$8.46 EC$22.83

-0.35%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$4.55 EC$12.29

-35.60%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.89 EC$5.11

-63.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.55 EC$4.20

-76.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.99 EC$5.36

21.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.67 EC$9.92

1.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$3.88 EC$10.47

-42.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.66 EC$4.49

10.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.91 EC$5.17

13.61%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$4.12 EC$11.13

-46.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.13 EC$27.35

94.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.91 EC$15.96

-38.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.39 EC$28.06

30.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.70 EC$7.30

21.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.82 EC$4.90

-11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.70 EC$4.59

41.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.87 EC$7.75

-27.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.58 EC$4.28

-3.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.52 EC$4.10

-2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.27 EC$3.44

-22.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.32 EC$3.56

-61.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.86 EC$5.03

137.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.67 EC$18.00

190.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.87 EC$5.04

-4.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.80 EC$4.85

50.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.08 EC$2.91

26.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$37.31 EC$101

-69.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$21.85 EC$59.0

-86.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.33 EC$3.59

2.26%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$24.7K EC$66.6K

14.26%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.7K EC$80.2K

10.81%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$209 EC$564

-41.70%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$18.59 EC$50.2

-27.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$47.62 EC$129

-61.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$36.68 EC$99.0

64.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$18.44 EC$49.80

-7.05%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$11.13 EC$30.06

-21.92%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$55.5 EC$150

1148.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$2,294 EC$6,194

583.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$25.43 EC$68.7

134.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$43.63 EC$118

-20.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$42.82 EC$116

167.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$77.2 EC$209

7.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$577 EC$1,559

6.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$290 EC$784

50.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,097 EC$2,961

90.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$513 EC$1,386

194.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$406 EC$1,096

823.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$109.6K EC$295.8K

-97.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$924 EC$2,495

-45.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.33

-15.80%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Saint George's: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $577 in Saint George's. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint George's pays 82% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $112 in Saint George's. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $271, with Saint George's cheaper for home cooking.

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 Saint George's: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint George's is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Saint George's earns 82% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $577 in Saint George's. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $55.5 in Saint George's. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,226 in Saint George's versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saint George's but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Saint George's the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Saint George's is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Saint George's 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 Saint George's gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.