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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,320 in St. Thomas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $3,337 in St. Thomas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $4,355 in St. Thomas.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 47% less than in St. Thomas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, St. Thomas is 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$20.29 CA$27.80

-77.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$75.1 CA$103

-37.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$11.52 CA$15.78

-23.26%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.48 CA$4.77

-13.79%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.82 CA$2.50

-59.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.74 CA$2.38

-78.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$5.22 CA$7.15

-53.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$5.83 CA$7.98

-38.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.02 CA$2.76

11.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.67 CA$3.66

-31.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$3.27 CA$4.48

-31.50%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.08 CA$4.22

-24.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.50 CA$13.01

107.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$11.38 CA$15.59

-67.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$15.56 CA$21.32

-15.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$4.01 CA$5.49

-15.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.24 CA$1.69

32.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.33 CA$4.56

-27.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$3.74 CA$5.12

-45.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.99 CA$4.09

-47.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.52 CA$3.45

-40.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.30 CA$3.16

-55.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.48 CA$2.03

-66.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$10.85 CA$14.87

-58.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$13.11 CA$17.96

44.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.08 CA$2.84

-14.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.48 CA$3.40

10.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$2.40 CA$3.28

-41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$63.5 CA$87.0

-81.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.29 CA$3.14

36.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.75 CA$2.39

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$30.76 CA$42.15

-54.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.10 CA$1.51

22.73%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$25.3K CA$34.6K

7.61%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.2K CA$27.6K

63.35%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$135 CA$184

-7.15%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$54.1 CA$74.2

-74.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$56.9 CA$77.9

-67.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$41.82 CA$57.3

47.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$11.18 CA$15.31

-17.80%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$559 CA$766

24.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$11.0K CA$15.0K

41.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$54.9 CA$75.2

5.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$38.10 CA$52.2

-7.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$84.5 CA$116

33.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$80.7 CA$111

7.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$1,183 CA$1,621

-47.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$1,158 CA$1,586

-61.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$2,032 CA$2,784

0.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,846 CA$2,529

-19.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$4,827 CA$6,612

-21.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$3,741 CA$5,124

-29.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$3,019 CA$4,136

-82.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.55

-18.63%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for St. Thomas: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $1,183 in St. Thomas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Thomas pays 476% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $75.0 in St. Thomas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $346 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. Thomas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, St. Thomas earns 476% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $1,183 in St. Thomas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $559 in St. Thomas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in St. Thomas. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,320 in St. Thomas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in St. Thomas. 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. Thomas, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and St. Thomas 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 88% less than in St. Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.