Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saint Helier Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saint Helier

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,345 in Saint Helier.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $5,483 in Saint Helier.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $7,622 in Saint Helier.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 63% less than in Saint Helier, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Saint Helier is 150% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$36.90 JEP 27.34

-87.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$133 JEP 98.7

-64.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$11.00 JEP 8.15

-19.64%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$4.86 JEP 3.60

-38.27%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$3.15 JEP 2.34

-76.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.58 JEP 1.91

-85.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$7.93 JEP 5.88

-69.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$8.35 JEP 6.18

-56.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.22 JEP 1.65

1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.36 JEP 1.75

-22.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$3.39 JEP 2.51

-33.92%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$5.80 JEP 4.30

-60.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.36 JEP 6.93

110.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$11.61 JEP 8.60

-68.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$19.00 JEP 14.08

-31.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$4.26 JEP 3.16

-20.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$3.18 JEP 2.36

-48.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$4.32 JEP 3.20

-44.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.18 JEP 3.09

-51.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$3.84 JEP 2.85

-59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$3.92 JEP 2.91

-61.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.09 JEP 1.55

-51.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$2.38 JEP 1.77

-79.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$15.85 JEP 11.75

-71.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.81 JEP 8.01

74.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$4.51 JEP 3.34

-60.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$7.60 JEP 5.63

-63.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$3.08 JEP 2.28

-54.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$68.3 JEP 50.6

-83.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$6.18 JEP 4.58

-49.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$3.83 JEP 2.84

-73.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$33.65 JEP 24.94

-58.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$2.22 JEP 1.64

-39.19%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$22.0K JEP 16.3K

23.61%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$34.0K JEP 25.2K

-3.09%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$247 JEP 183

-49.48%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$25.41 JEP 18.83

-46.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$75.9 JEP 56.2

-75.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$69.8 JEP 51.8

-11.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$24.48 JEP 18.14

-31.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$20.66 JEP 15.31

-55.52%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$2,133 JEP 1,580

-67.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$17.3K JEP 12.8K

-9.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$110 JEP 81.5

-47.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$72.8 JEP 53.9

-51.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$126 JEP 93.7

-10.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$216 JEP 160

-60.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$2,046 JEP 1,516

-69.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$1,627 JEP 1,206

-72.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$3,992 JEP 2,958

-48.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$3,487 JEP 2,584

-57.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$11.2K JEP 8,327

-66.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$10.5K JEP 7,810

-74.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$4,803 JEP 3,559

-89.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.85

38.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Saint Helier: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $2,046 in Saint Helier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Helier pays 817% 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 $133 in Saint Helier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $420 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 Saint Helier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 172% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Saint Helier earns 817% 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 $2,046 in Saint Helier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $2,133 in Saint Helier. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Saint Helier. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,345 in Saint Helier, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint Helier. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Saint Helier 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 172% less than in Saint Helier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.