Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and St Helens Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and St Helens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,025 in St Helens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,045 in St Helens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $4,064 in St Helens.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 38% less than in St Helens, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, St Helens is 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$20.64 £15.37

-77.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$81.4 £60.7

-44.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$11.03 £8.22

-23.57%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.69 £2.75

-20.60%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$2.93 £2.18

-76.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$1.96 £1.46

-81.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$4.11 £3.06

-41.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.95 £3.69

-24.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.33 £0.99

67.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.81 £1.35

1.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$2.03 £1.51

6.90%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$4.27 £3.18

-48.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$12.31 £9.17

60.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$9.09 £6.77

-60.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.96 £8.16

23.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.27 £2.44

0.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.33 £0.99

21.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.57 £2.66

-32.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$3.65 £2.72

-43.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.93 £1.44

-20.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.06 £1.53

-28.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.38 £1.03

-28.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.34 £1.00

-61.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$20.19 £15.04

-78.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$11.35 £8.45

70.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.66 £1.98

-33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.69 £2.00

0.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$2.88 £2.15

-52.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$104 £77.3

-89.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.36 £2.50

-10.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.92 £1.43

-48.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$16.28 £12.12

-13.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.99 £1.48

-31.66%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$26.7K £19.9K

5.73%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$34.0K £25.3K

-3.14%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$338 £252

-63.97%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$15.92 £11.86

-14.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$39.63 £29.51

-53.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$27.46 £20.45

119.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$3.96 £2.95

332.83%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$16.49 £12.28

-47.30%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$814 £606

-14.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$6,810 £5,072

130.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$66.6 £49.62

-10.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$55.2 £41.07

-36.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$86.1 £64.1

33.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$122 £90.7

-31.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$810 £604

-24.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$674 £502

-35.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,534 £1,142

36.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,290 £961

17.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$5,129 £3,820

-26.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,372 £1,767

10.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,507 £1,867

-79.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.54

-3.79%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for St Helens: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $810 in St Helens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St Helens pays 393% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $81.0 in St Helens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $302 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 St Helens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, St Helens earns 393% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $810 in St Helens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $814 in St Helens. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in St Helens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,025 in St Helens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in St Helens. 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 St Helens, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and St Helens 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 60% less than in St Helens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.