Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Simpson Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $3,879 in Simpson Bay, rent and utilities included – about $32,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Simpson Bay

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,879

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Simpson Bay

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 Simpson Bay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $3,879 in Simpson Bay.

Phuket $1,207
Simpson Bay $3,879

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $6,586 in Simpson Bay.

Phuket $2,037
Simpson Bay $6,586

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $9,293 in Simpson Bay.

Phuket $2,867
Simpson Bay $9,293

Living in Phuket costs roughly 69% less than in Simpson Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Simpson Bay is 187% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$19.30 ANG 34.54

-76.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$132 ANG 236

-75.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$13.10 ANG 23.44

-34.73%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$4.45 ANG 7.96

-38.88%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$2.96 ANG 5.29

-68.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$2.92 ANG 5.23

-83.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$5.45 ANG 9.76

-52.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.12 ANG 7.37

-7.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$4.09 ANG 7.32

-57.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$2.75 ANG 4.92

-48.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$2.93 ANG 5.25

-47.78%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$4.50 ANG 8.06

-51.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$24.59 ANG 44.02

-22.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$13.46 ANG 24.10

-75.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$17.21 ANG 30.80

-35.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$4.28 ANG 7.65

-31.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$3.51 ANG 6.29

-52.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$6.55 ANG 11.72

-64.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$5.07 ANG 9.08

-57.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$4.02 ANG 7.20

-61.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$3.51 ANG 6.29

-61.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$2.92 ANG 5.23

-61.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.44 ANG 2.58

-61.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$14.87 ANG 26.62

22.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.70 ANG 3.05

64.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$3.05 ANG 5.45

-27.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$15.20 ANG 27.21

-80.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.31 ANG 2.34

13.74%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$506 ANG 906

-80.37%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$34.60 ANG 61.9

-67.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$88.9 ANG 159

-80.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$75.5 ANG 135

-30.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$7.97 ANG 14.27

-5.02%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$753 ANG 1,348

-25.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$11.9K ANG 21.3K

-3.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$49.79 ANG 89.1

26.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$39.25 ANG 70.3

-27.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$101 ANG 181

-4.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$59.8 ANG 107

47.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$2,321 ANG 4,155

-68.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$2,246 ANG 4,020

-79.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$5,924 ANG 10.6K

-64.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$5,759 ANG 10.3K

-78.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Simpson Bay: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Simpson Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Simpson Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Simpson Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Simpson Bay

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Simpson Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Simpson Bay

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Simpson Bay

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $2,321 in Simpson Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $132 in Simpson Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $466 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇽 Simpson Bay

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

19:46 7:46 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

6,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.497 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ANG, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 ANG (1 ANG = 0.497 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Simpson Bay 16,490 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Simpson Bay

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 Simpson Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 221% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,811 in Phuket and $5,818 in Simpson Bay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $2,321 in Simpson Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $753 in Simpson Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $132 in Simpson Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $3,879 in Simpson Bay, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Simpson Bay. 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 Simpson Bay, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Simpson Bay 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 221% less than in Simpson Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.