Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and St Lawrence Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and St Lawrence

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,296 in St Lawrence.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $4,960 in St Lawrence.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $6,625 in St Lawrence.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 63% less than in St Lawrence, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, St Lawrence is 146% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$20.33 JEP 15.06

-77.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$66.6 JEP 49.35

-29.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$10.83 JEP 8.03

-18.37%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$4.04 JEP 3.00

-25.74%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.39 JEP 1.03

-46.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.39 JEP 1.03

-73.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$4.03 JEP 2.99

-39.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$6.92 JEP 5.13

-47.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.78 JEP 1.32

26.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.01 JEP 1.49

-8.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.03 JEP 1.50

10.34%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$5.33 JEP 3.95

-56.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.03 JEP 2.99

388.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$11.65 JEP 8.63

-68.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$6.89 JEP 5.11

90.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$4.13 JEP 3.06

-17.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.09 JEP 1.55

-21.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.48 JEP 2.58

-30.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.18 JEP 3.10

-51.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$3.91 JEP 2.89

-60.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.70 JEP 2.00

-44.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.99 JEP 1.47

-48.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.65 JEP 1.22

-70.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$11.34 JEP 8.40

-60.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.02 JEP 8.17

71.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$4.18 JEP 3.10

-57.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$6.65 JEP 4.93

-58.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$3.45 JEP 2.55

-59.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$70.3 JEP 52.1

-83.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$6.03 JEP 4.47

-48.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$3.85 JEP 2.85

-74.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.74 JEP 2.03

414.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$2.09 JEP 1.55

-35.41%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$22.4K JEP 16.6K

21.20%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.5K JEP 24.8K

-1.68%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$136 JEP 101

-8.04%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$25.07 JEP 18.58

-45.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$66.8 JEP 49.50

-72.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$88.6 JEP 65.6

-30.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$20.42 JEP 15.13

-17.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$14.40 JEP 10.67

-36.18%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$2,011 JEP 1,490

-65.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$17.5K JEP 12.9K

-10.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$95.2 JEP 70.5

-39.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$48.11 JEP 35.65

-26.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$126 JEP 93.0

-9.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$135 JEP 100

-36.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$1,919 JEP 1,422

-67.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$2,104 JEP 1,559

-78.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$3,434 JEP 2,545

-40.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$3,739 JEP 2,770

-60.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.75

93.82%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for St Lawrence: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $1,919 in St Lawrence. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $67.0 in St Lawrence for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $327 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 Lawrence: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 168% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $4,943 in St Lawrence 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $1,919 in St Lawrence. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $2,011 in St Lawrence. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in St Lawrence. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,296 in St Lawrence, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in St Lawrence. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in St Lawrence, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and St Lawrence 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in St Lawrence. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.