Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Andrews and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Andrews and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,339 in Saint Andrews versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,384 in Saint Andrews versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,430 in Saint Andrews versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Saint Andrews is roughly 85% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint Andrews is 75% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 CA$23.59

$4.70 ฿153

260.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$98.8

$45.37 ฿1,482

56.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 CA$15.10

$8.43 ฿275

28.83%

Cappuccino

$3.86 CA$5.37

$2.93 ฿95.6

31.74%

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

$2.04 CA$2.84

$0.69 ฿22.40

195.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.38

$0.37 ฿11.99

362.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 CA$7.82

$2.41 ฿78.6

133.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 CA$8.10

$3.72 ฿122

56.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.07

$2.23 ฿72.9

-0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CA$3.75

$1.83 ฿59.8

47.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 CA$4.92

$2.17 ฿70.8

62.67%

Eggs

$3.50 CA$4.87

$2.21 ฿72.3

58.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 CA$15.29

$19.74 ฿645

-44.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.61 CA$16.14

$3.63 ฿119

219.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.56 CA$20.25

$13.53 ฿442

7.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 CA$5.80

$3.28 ฿107

27.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$1.99

$1.61 ฿52.6

-11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.08

$2.41 ฿78.6

51.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 CA$5.38

$2.08 ฿68.1

86.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.44

$1.53 ฿49.93

62.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 CA$3.48

$1.48 ฿48.36

68.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.47

$0.99 ฿32.29

152.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 CA$2.46

$0.51 ฿16.67

247.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.75 CA$19.12

$4.41 ฿144

211.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.56 CA$18.86

$19.38 ฿633

-30.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 CA$3.97

$1.78 ฿58.1

60.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CA$4.41

$2.71 ฿88.6

16.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 CA$3.35

$1.37 ฿44.79

75.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 CA$88.0

$11.39 ฿372

455.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 CA$4.29

$3.02 ฿98.6

1.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.00

$0.99 ฿32.48

45.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.98 CA$36.12

$14.10 ฿461

84.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.60

$1.36 ฿44.51

-15.44%

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

$25.1K CA$34.9K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-11.02%

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

$20.9K CA$29.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-36.37%

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

$140 CA$195

$122 ฿3,975

15.35%

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

$44.27 CA$61.6

$13.57 ฿443

226.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 CA$86.2

$18.31 ฿598

238.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.38 CA$58.9

$60.2 ฿1,967

-29.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$11.25 CA$15.65

$8.69 ฿284

29.46%

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

$750 CA$1,043

$693 ฿22.6K

8.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$16.2K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-25.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CA$76.5

$59.5 ฿1,944

-7.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.25 CA$54.6

$34.77 ฿1,136

12.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 CA$120

$115 ฿3,743

-24.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$147

$83.3 ฿2,720

27.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,319 CA$1,834

$613 ฿20.0K

115.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 CA$1,659

$437 ฿14.3K

172.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 CA$2,786

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-4.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 CA$2,487

$1,509 ฿49.3K

18.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,939 CA$6,869

$3,749 ฿122.5K

31.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,447 CA$4,793

$2,616 ฿85.4K

31.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

5.33

21.20%

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

Last update for Saint Andrews: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,319 in Saint Andrews and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Saint Andrews vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $367 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Saint Andrews vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,508 in Saint Andrews and $1,898 in Phuket 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: $1,319 in Saint Andrews versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $750 in Saint Andrews versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Saint Andrews. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,339 in Saint Andrews, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint Andrews. 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 Saint Andrews, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Saint Andrews 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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Saint Andrews. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.