😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,779 in Port St Lucie, FL versus $1,232 in Phuket.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,978 in Port St Lucie, FL versus $2,054 in Phuket.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,177 in Port St Lucie, FL versus $2,876 in Phuket.
🌍Living in Port St Lucie, FL is roughly 126% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Port St Lucie, FL is 103% above, Phuket is 10% below.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Port St Lucie, FL
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.95$20.95
$4.41฿147
375.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.8$78.8
$32.26฿1,077
144.23%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.20$11.20
$8.93฿298
25.42%
Cappuccino
$4.26$4.26
$2.90฿96.6
46.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98$2.98
$0.88฿29.38
238.64%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37$2.37
$0.48฿16.06
393.75%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.94$5.94
$2.35฿78.5
152.77%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.96$7.96
$3.72฿124
113.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Port St Lucie, FL
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.10$1.10
$1.87฿62.3
-41.18%
White Bread(500g)
$3.68$3.68
$1.47฿48.94
150.34%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$4.38$4.38
$1.55฿51.8
182.58%
Eggs
$3.23$3.23
$2.10฿70.1
53.81%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.52$12.52
$19.59฿654
-36.09%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.87$10.87
$3.42฿114
217.84%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.48$17.48
$11.38฿380
53.60%
Apples(1kg)
$4.21$4.21
$2.98฿99.6
41.28%
Banana(1kg)
$1.91$1.91
$1.68฿56.2
13.69%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.90$3.90
$2.21฿73.7
76.47%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.77$3.77
$2.16฿72.1
74.54%
Potato(1kg)
$3.50$3.50
$1.52฿50.9
130.26%
Onion(1kg)
$3.39$3.39
$1.34฿44.67
152.99%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.59$2.59
$1.13฿37.67
129.20%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.39$2.39
$0.55฿18.24
334.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$9.21$9.21
$4.26฿142
116.20%
Wine(Bottle)
$14.94$14.94
$19.09฿637
-21.74%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69$1.69
$1.78฿59.4
-5.06%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.59$3.59
$2.78฿92.9
29.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Port St Lucie, FL
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
-
$2.23฿74.4
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$91.0$91.0
$22.74฿759
299.96%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.84$2.84
$3.03฿101
-6.27%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.87$1.87
$1.02฿34.15
83.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$29.84$29.84
$3.89฿130
667.10%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.94$0.94
$1.49฿49.77
-36.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.3K$37.3K
$26.6K฿887.3K
40.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K$26.6K
$27.0K฿902.2K
-1.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port St Lucie, FL
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$199$199
$102฿3,420
94.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$64.7$64.7
$11.33฿378
471.32%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$77.9$77.9
$17.40฿581
347.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Port St Lucie, FL
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$37.71$37.71
$52.1฿1,738
-27.59%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28$20.28
$11.07฿370
83.20%
Cinema Ticket
$16.20$16.20
$7.69฿257
110.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Port St Lucie, FL
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,534$1,534
$561฿18.7K
173.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$21.4K$21.4K
$11.5K฿384.1K
86.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Port St Lucie, FL
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.07$44.07
$63.0฿2,104
-30.08%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.39$40.39
$29.52฿986
36.82%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$92.2$92.2
$98.0฿3,272
-6.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.6$90.6
$88.5฿2,954
2.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Port St Lucie, FL
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,599$1,599
$738฿24.6K
116.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,433$1,433
$482฿16.1K
196.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,524$2,524
$2,107฿70.3K
19.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,300$2,300
$1,226฿40.9K
87.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,618$2,618
$3,617฿120.7K
-27.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,647$2,647
$2,603฿86.9K
1.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Port St Lucie, FL
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,741$3,741
$494฿16.5K
657.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
6.05
5.57
8.62%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Port St Lucie, FL: September 12, 2026
Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,599 in Port St Lucie, FL and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Port St Lucie, FL pays 658% 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: $79.0 in Port St Lucie, FL vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 vs $274 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
Port St Lucie, FL vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Port St Lucie, FL?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Port St Lucie, FL or Phuket?
Average pay runs 658% higher in Port St Lucie, FL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Port St Lucie, FL and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,599 in Port St Lucie, FL versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,534 in Port St Lucie, FL versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Port St Lucie, FL and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Port St Lucie, FL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Port St Lucie, FL or in Phuket?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,779 in Port St Lucie, FL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Port St Lucie, FL. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Port St Lucie, FL or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Port St Lucie, FL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Port St Lucie, FL or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Port St Lucie, FL and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Port St Lucie, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Port St Lucie, FL vs other spots: cost of living compared