Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and St.James Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and St.James

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $924 in St.James.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,643 in St.James.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,361 in St.James.

Living in Phuket is roughly 36% more expensive than St.James, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, St.James 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$10.18 TTD 68.8

-55.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$87.1 TTD 589

-46.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.49 TTD 50.6

13.08%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.61 TTD 24.42

-16.07%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.08 TTD 7.31

-36.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.79 TTD 5.32

-53.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.81 TTD 12.21

37.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.07 TTD 20.74

19.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.76 TTD 18.68

-21.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.81 TTD 18.97

-32.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.68 TTD 18.12

-17.91%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$5.08 TTD 34.33

-56.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.81 TTD 52.8

155.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$10.52 TTD 71.1

-65.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$14.18 TTD 95.9

-6.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$5.96 TTD 40.28

-45.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.49 TTD 16.81

-31.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$4.22 TTD 28.55

-43.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$4.62 TTD 31.26

-54.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.50 TTD 10.15

6.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.67 TTD 11.27

-11.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.94 TTD 13.11

-46.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.41 TTD 9.53

-63.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.86 TTD 39.62

-27.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$18.70 TTD 126

0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.17 TTD 14.68

-18.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.84 TTD 19.18

-2.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.05 TTD 7.13

199.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.28 TTD 8.64

-18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$15.03 TTD 102

-8.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.11 TTD 7.50

20.72%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$33.3K TTD 225.5K

-17.01%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$39.0K TTD 263.6K

-13.15%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$81.3 TTD 549

52.11%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$46.23 TTD 313

-70.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$60.6 TTD 410

-69.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$10.28 TTD 69.5

-11.09%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$329 TTD 2,224

113.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$7,199 TTD 48.7K

120.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$60.2 TTD 407

-1.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$38.56 TTD 261

-9.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$145 TTD 981

-20.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$130 TTD 876

-35.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.38

-0.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for St.James: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $87.0 in St.James for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $376 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.James: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St.James is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,386 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.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $329 in St.James. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in St.James – a meal for two runs $87.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $924 in St.James versus $1,261 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.

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.

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.

Expats usually find St.James gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.