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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $925 in St.James.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,586 in St.James.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,247 in St.James.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than in St.James, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, St.James 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.49 TTD 70.6

-57.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$87.5 TTD 589

-63.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.07 TTD 61.0

-1.54%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.69 TTD 24.83

-21.41%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.00 TTD 6.75

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.76 TTD 5.11

-36.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.27 TTD 15.27

3.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.60 TTD 24.21

3.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.51 TTD 16.90

-25.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.48 TTD 16.67

-40.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.85 TTD 19.17

-45.61%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$4.30 TTD 28.92

-51.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.50 TTD 43.73

201.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.97 TTD 67.1

-65.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$11.64 TTD 78.3

-2.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.60 TTD 37.69

-46.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$3.12 TTD 20.99

-46.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$3.72 TTD 25.01

-40.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.17 TTD 28.04

-48.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.21 TTD 14.88

-31.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.93 TTD 13.00

-30.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.84 TTD 12.37

-38.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.34 TTD 9.01

-58.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.02 TTD 40.50

-29.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$18.94 TTD 127

0.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.21 TTD 14.88

-19.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.99 TTD 20.10

-7.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.05 TTD 7.07

188.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.24 TTD 8.34

-17.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$14.61 TTD 98.3

-73.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.17 TTD 7.85

27.35%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$37.5K TTD 252.2K

-29.07%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$40.4K TTD 271.7K

-33.07%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$91.7 TTD 617

11.72%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$52.6 TTD 354

-78.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$56.1 TTD 377

-68.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$8.90 TTD 59.9

-13.60%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$404 TTD 2,716

38.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$10.8K TTD 72.7K

6.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$54.3 TTD 365

16.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$52.0 TTD 350

-43.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$146 TTD 985

-33.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$103 TTD 691

-13.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.75

-3.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for St.James: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $88.0 in St.James for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $354 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 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,387 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 $561 in Phuket versus $404 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 $88.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $925 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.

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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.