Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and St John

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $322 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$322

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in St John

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in St John actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $322 in St John.

Phuket $1,278
St John $322

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $927 in St John.

Phuket $2,216
St John $927

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,531 in St John.

Phuket $3,154
St John $1,531

Living in Phuket is roughly 297% more expensive than in St John.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, St John 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$20.06 $20.06

-77.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$174 $174

-81.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$7.14 $7.14

-60.36%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$2.94 $2.94

-70.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$1.96 $1.96

-75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$8.05 $8.05

-68.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$8.09 $8.09

-54.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.62 $1.62

-9.26%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$13.3K $13.3K

-15.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$12.8K $12.8K

-67.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$5,075 $5,075

-90.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.05

-20.99%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for St John: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

St John

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

St John

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

St John

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

St John

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

St John

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

St John

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

St John

–

Cost Breakdown

St John pays about 10 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $32 in Phuket vs $174 in St John for two.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇻🇮 St John

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

22:49 10:49 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

2,743

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket St John 16,560 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
St John

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 John: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $322 in St John, so St John is about 75% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 90% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $174 in St John. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $322 in St John – St John is about 75% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $322 in St John versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in St John but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes St John the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and St John are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.