😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $936 in St.James.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,628 in St.James.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,320 in St.James.
😐Living in Phuket is roughly 32% more expensive than St.James, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket8% lower, St.James30% lower.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
St.James
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63฿151
$10.25TTD 69.6
-54.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84฿1,532
$89.4TTD 607
-47.59%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.84฿289
$7.46TTD 50.7
18.50%
Cappuccino
$3.00฿98.0
$3.67TTD 24.95
-18.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74฿24.25
$1.09TTD 7.39
-32.11%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.95
$0.82TTD 5.58
-54.88%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.44฿79.8
$1.83TTD 12.41
33.33%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61฿118
$3.04TTD 20.62
18.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
St.James
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$2.26฿73.9
$2.68TTD 18.19
-15.67%
White Bread(500g)
$1.84฿60.1
$2.81TTD 19.07
-34.52%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24฿73.4
$2.58TTD 17.54
-13.18%
Eggs
$2.32฿75.7
$5.04TTD 34.24
-53.97%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.67฿643
$7.99TTD 54.3
146.18%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65฿119
$10.50TTD 71.3
-65.24%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.10฿428
$14.13TTD 95.9
-7.29%
Apples(1kg)
$3.39฿111
$5.85TTD 39.71
-42.05%
Banana(1kg)
$1.64฿53.7
$2.63TTD 17.83
-37.64%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41฿79.0
$4.33TTD 29.43
-44.34%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.03฿66.4
$4.68TTD 31.80
-56.62%
Potato(1kg)
$1.56฿50.9
$1.49TTD 10.12
4.70%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50฿48.94
$1.67TTD 11.32
-10.18%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.02฿33.50
$1.89TTD 12.82
-46.03%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49฿16.00
$1.40TTD 9.52
-65.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45฿145
$5.78TTD 39.26
-23.01%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.88฿617
$19.31TTD 131
-2.23%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78฿58.1
$2.10TTD 14.25
-15.24%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75฿90.1
$2.69TTD 18.29
2.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
St.James
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.40฿45.81
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.48฿376
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.12฿102
$1.05TTD 7.13
197.14%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.00฿32.67
$1.24TTD 8.41
-19.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.09฿461
$14.98TTD 102
-5.94%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.35฿44.19
$1.15TTD 7.79
17.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K฿888.9K
$34.2KTTD 232.0K
-20.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K฿1.1M
$39.0KTTD 265.0K
-15.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
St.James
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$125฿4,087
$80.0TTD 543
56.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57฿444
$47.03TTD 319
-71.15%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52฿606
$61.6TTD 418
-69.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
St.James
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.5฿2,010
-
-
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84฿551
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.19฿300
$10.01TTD 68.0
-8.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
St.James
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$698฿22.8K
$321TTD 2,181
117.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.6K฿509.9K
$7,320TTD 49.7K
113.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
St.James
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8฿1,889
$59.9TTD 407
-3.59%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24฿1,152
$37.68TTD 256
-6.48%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$113฿3,699
$143TTD 973
-21.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4฿2,825
$126TTD 857
-31.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
St.James
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$616฿20.1K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$446฿14.6K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,048฿67.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,492฿48.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,779฿123.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,649฿86.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
St.James
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$524฿17.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
5.38
-0.93%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Phuket: April 27, 2026
Última actualización para St.James: April 26, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🛒Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $89.0 in St.James for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $377 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Phuket vs St.James: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Is St.James cheaper than Phuket?
St.James is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,404 in St.James 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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $321 in St.James. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or St.James?
Dining out is cheaper in St.James – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for Phuket or St.James?
At $936 in St.James versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in St.James but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes St.James the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or St.James more family-friendly?
For families, St.James is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or St.James?
Safety-wise, Phuket and St.James are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find St.James gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.