Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saint Paul, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Saint Paul, MN
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Saint Paul, MN Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Saint Paul, MN

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Saint Paul, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN.

Phuket $1,278
Saint Paul, MN $2,445

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,672 in Saint Paul, MN.

Phuket $2,216
Saint Paul, MN $3,672

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,900 in Saint Paul, MN.

Phuket $3,154
Saint Paul, MN $4,900

Living in Phuket costs roughly 48% less than in Saint Paul, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Saint Paul, MN is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$15.66 $15.66

-71.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$67.8 $67.8

-52.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.07 $10.07

-12.51%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$5.03 $5.03

-43.74%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$3.09 $3.09

-71.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$2.59 $2.59

-81.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$6.04 $6.04

-57.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$7.37 $7.37

-50.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.98 $0.98

69.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$3.80 $3.80

-61.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$3.33 $3.33

-54.95%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$2.96 $2.96

-29.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$9.39 $9.39

103.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$9.66 $9.66

-65.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$13.17 $13.17

-17.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$4.84 $4.84

-39.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.11 $1.11

52.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$5.88 $5.88

-61.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.92 $4.92

-57.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$3.81 $3.81

-60.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$3.48 $3.48

-60.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$2.05 $2.05

-47.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$1.75 $1.75

-70.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$12.68 $12.68

-66.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$14.65 $14.65

28.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.69 $1.69

7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$3.41 $3.41

-16.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.96 $1.96

-26.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$104 $104

-45.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.54 $2.54

18.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.52 $1.52

-32.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$31.02 $31.02

-88.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.03 $1.03

42.72%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

-1.16%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.41%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$232 $232

-58.52%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$50.6 $50.6

-77.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$64.7 $64.7

-73.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$29.74 $29.74

126.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$8.50 $8.50

26.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$13.07 $13.07

-42.62%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$1,481 $1,481

-67.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$28.1K $28.1K

-59.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$41.01 $41.01

52.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$40.23 $40.23

-29.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$82.1 $82.1

14.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$110 $110

-22.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,444 $1,444

-50.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$1,153 $1,153

-57.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$2,660 $2,660

-27.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$2,132 $2,132

-32.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$2,631 $2,631

58.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$1,949 $1,949

56.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$4,256 $4,256

-88.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.31

-11.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Saint Paul, MN: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Saint Paul, MN

$1.2K 47.2% 135% $662

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Saint Paul, MN

$360 14.7% 35.2% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Saint Paul, MN

$348 14.2% 179% $223

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Saint Paul, MN

$123 5% 1% $1.2

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Saint Paul, MN

$283 11.6% 133% $162

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Saint Paul, MN

$56 2.3% 32% $26

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Saint Paul, MN

$122 5% 72.6% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,444 in Saint Paul, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Paul, MN pays about 8.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $68 in Saint Paul, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $360 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Saint Paul, MN

🕒 Local time

12:53 12:53 PM

00:53 12:53 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

285,068

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Saint Paul, MN 14,030 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Saint Paul, MN

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Paul, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 48% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 88% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $1,444 in Saint Paul, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $1,481 in Saint Paul, MN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Saint Paul, MN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint Paul, MN. 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 Paul, MN, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Saint Paul, MN are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Saint Paul, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.