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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $3,293 in Saint Helier.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $5,349 in Saint Helier.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $7,404 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 147% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$37.07 JEP 27.73

-87.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$137 JEP 103

-66.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$10.77 JEP 8.05

-21.17%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$5.03 JEP 3.76

-38.77%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$3.16 JEP 2.37

-78.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$2.66 JEP 1.99

-86.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$8.00 JEP 5.98

-69.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$8.27 JEP 6.19

-56.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$2.18 JEP 1.63

0.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$2.31 JEP 1.72

-21.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$3.50 JEP 2.62

-36.29%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$5.90 JEP 4.42

-62.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$9.27 JEP 6.94

111.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$11.99 JEP 8.97

-68.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$19.08 JEP 14.27

-29.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$4.48 JEP 3.35

-25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$3.27 JEP 2.45

-50.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$4.30 JEP 3.21

-43.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$4.34 JEP 3.25

-54.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$4.00 JEP 3.00

-61.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$3.84 JEP 2.87

-62.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$2.05 JEP 1.53

-50.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$2.44 JEP 1.83

-80.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$15.43 JEP 11.54

-72.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$10.87 JEP 8.13

75.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$4.50 JEP 3.36

-59.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$7.32 JEP 5.47

-62.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$3.05 JEP 2.28

-53.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$69.2 JEP 51.8

-83.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$6.22 JEP 4.65

-51.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$3.97 JEP 2.97

-73.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$34.49 JEP 25.80

-59.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$2.12 JEP 1.59

-39.15%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$22.7K JEP 17.0K

23.70%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$33.4K JEP 25.0K

0.37%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$249 JEP 186

-50.99%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$25.76 JEP 19.26

-45.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$76.9 JEP 57.5

-75.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$68.5 JEP 51.2

-10.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$24.67 JEP 18.46

-31.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$21.04 JEP 15.74

-57.75%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$2,184 JEP 1,633

-68.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$17.1K JEP 12.8K

-5.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$107 JEP 80.2

-46.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$73.4 JEP 54.9

-51.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$125 JEP 93.7

-9.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$210 JEP 157

-60.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$1,973 JEP 1,476

-69.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$1,666 JEP 1,246

-73.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$3,995 JEP 2,989

-49.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$3,481 JEP 2,604

-57.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$11.9K JEP 8,868

-69.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$10.3K JEP 7,692

-74.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$4,767 JEP 3,566

-89.41%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Saint Helier: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $1,973 in Saint Helier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Helier pays 845% 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 $137 in Saint Helier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $424 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 169% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 845% lower in Saint Helier. 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: $607 in Phuket versus $1,973 in Saint Helier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $2,184 in Saint Helier. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Saint Helier. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $3,293 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 169% less than in Saint Helier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.