Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sint Nicolaas

For one person, living is cheaper in Sint Nicolaas: $136 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

$1,278

/mo nomad

Sint Nicolaas

🇦🇼 Aruba

$136

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sint Nicolaas

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 Sint Nicolaas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $136 in Sint Nicolaas.

Phuket $1,278
Sint Nicolaas $136

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $332 in Sint Nicolaas.

Phuket $2,216
Sint Nicolaas $332

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $527 in Sint Nicolaas.

Phuket $3,154
Sint Nicolaas $527

Living in Phuket is roughly 842% more expensive than in Sint Nicolaas.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sint Nicolaas 90% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$16.40 AWG 29.34

-72.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$45.10 AWG 80.7

-28.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$1.14 AWG 2.03

-57.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

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 26, 2026

Last update for Sint Nicolaas: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $32 in Phuket vs $45 in Sint Nicolaas for two.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇼 Sint Nicolaas

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

02:12 2:12 AM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

18,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2 AWG (1 AWG = 0.5 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Sint Nicolaas 17,410 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sint Nicolaas

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 Sint Nicolaas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $136 in Sint Nicolaas, so Sint Nicolaas is about 89% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $204 in Sint Nicolaas 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $45 in Sint Nicolaas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $136 in Sint Nicolaas – Sint Nicolaas is about 89% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $136 in Sint Nicolaas versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Sint Nicolaas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sint Nicolaas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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