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: $2,363 in Saint Andrews versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,396 in Saint Andrews versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Saint Andrews versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Saint Andrews is roughly 87% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint Andrews is 77% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 CA$24.07

$4.53 ฿153

276.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 CA$97.8

$46.36 ฿1,563

49.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 CA$15.87

$8.65 ฿292

30.06%

Cappuccino

$3.85 CA$5.43

$3.09 ฿104

24.60%

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

$2.06 CA$2.91

$0.68 ฿22.86

202.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.35

$0.37 ฿12.42

348.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.41 CA$7.63

$2.42 ฿81.5

123.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 CA$8.11

$3.81 ฿128

50.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CA$2.98

$2.18 ฿73.4

-3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.85

$1.82 ฿61.3

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 CA$4.92

$2.18 ฿73.4

60.09%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.96

$2.24 ฿75.4

57.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.85

$19.93 ฿672

-43.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.52 CA$16.25

$3.64 ฿123

216.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 CA$20.34

$13.56 ฿457

6.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 CA$5.88

$3.29 ฿111

26.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 CA$1.99

$1.69 ฿56.8

-16.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.08

$2.33 ฿78.7

54.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.19

$2.03 ฿68.3

81.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 CA$3.42

$1.60 ฿53.9

51.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 CA$3.47

$1.49 ฿50.4

65.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CA$3.69

$1.01 ฿34.13

159.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.44

$0.48 ฿16.07

260.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.82

$4.45 ฿150

215.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.94 CA$16.84

$18.63 ฿628

-35.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 CA$3.95

$1.79 ฿60.2

56.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CA$4.48

$2.80 ฿94.3

13.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.42 ฿47.84

64.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.8 CA$87.2

$11.33 ฿382

445.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$3.09 ฿104

3.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.11

$1.04 ฿35.15

44.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.93 CA$36.58

$13.63 ฿459

90.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.56

$1.31 ฿44.18

-15.27%

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

$25.3K CA$35.7K

$27.3K ฿919.6K

-7.10%

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

$20.5K CA$28.9K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-38.43%

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

$141 CA$199

$123 ฿4,152

14.31%

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

$43.76 CA$61.7

$13.81 ฿465

216.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.9 CA$87.3

$18.52 ฿624

234.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.27 CA$58.2

$60.4 ฿2,035

-31.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 CA$15.90

$8.89 ฿300

26.77%

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

$737 CA$1,040

$687 ฿23.1K

7.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.6K

$15.6K ฿524.2K

-24.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 CA$76.6

$57.6 ฿1,943

-5.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.97 CA$55.0

$34.66 ฿1,168

12.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 CA$124

$115 ฿3,874

-23.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$153

$84.9 ฿2,862

27.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 CA$1,888

$618 ฿20.8K

116.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 CA$1,665

$443 ฿14.9K

166.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 CA$2,854

$2,047 ฿69.0K

-1.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 CA$2,521

$1,506 ฿50.8K

18.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,448 CA$6,274

$3,568 ฿120.3K

24.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,453 CA$4,871

$2,511 ฿84.6K

37.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

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: July 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,339 in Saint Andrews and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Saint Andrews vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $292 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 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,545 in Saint Andrews and $1,891 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: $1,339 in Saint Andrews versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $737 in Saint Andrews versus $687 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Saint Andrews. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,363 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 87% less than in Saint Andrews. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.