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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $914 in St.James.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,615 in St.James.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,317 in St.James.

Living in Phuket is roughly 38% more expensive than in St.James, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, St.James 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$10.37 TTD 69.7

-56.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$89.0 TTD 598

-48.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.52 TTD 50.5

16.49%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.64 TTD 24.41

-18.41%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.05 TTD 7.02

-34.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.78 TTD 5.26

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.81 TTD 12.13

39.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.17 TTD 21.30

18.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$2.69 TTD 18.06

-20.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.81 TTD 18.85

-35.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.62 TTD 17.59

-16.79%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$5.04 TTD 33.86

-55.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.02 TTD 53.8

149.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$10.23 TTD 68.7

-64.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$14.14 TTD 95.0

-4.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$5.94 TTD 39.87

-45.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.62 TTD 17.59

-37.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$4.43 TTD 29.76

-47.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$4.80 TTD 32.26

-56.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.44 TTD 9.64

7.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.72 TTD 11.57

-15.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.91 TTD 12.82

-48.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.40 TTD 9.37

-65.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$5.85 TTD 39.31

-25.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$19.42 TTD 130

-4.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.20 TTD 14.77

-15.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.72 TTD 18.28

-2.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.02 TTD 6.84

210.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.28 TTD 8.63

-19.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$15.00 TTD 101

-7.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.09 TTD 7.32

22.94%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$34.0K TTD 228.3K

-18.27%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$38.6K TTD 259.4K

-13.58%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$79.3 TTD 532

55.25%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$46.15 TTD 310

-70.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$62.4 TTD 419

-70.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$10.11 TTD 67.9

-12.27%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$325 TTD 2,184

111.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$7,329 TTD 49.2K

115.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$58.9 TTD 395

0.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$37.85 TTD 254

-8.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$144 TTD 965

-19.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$129 TTD 867

-35.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿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: July 27, 2026

Last update for St.James: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $89.0 in St.James for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $378 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 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,370 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 $688 in Phuket versus $325 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 $89.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $914 in St.James versus $1,264 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 38% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.