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: $2,365 in Saint Andrews versus $1,247 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,397 in Saint Andrews versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Saint Andrews versus $3,306 in Phuket.

Living in Saint Andrews is roughly 90% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint Andrews is 76% above, Phuket is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 CA$23.11

$4.59 ฿147

267.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$97.6

$46.83 ฿1,501

52.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$14.98

$8.70 ฿279

25.75%

Cappuccino

$3.86 CA$5.28

$2.92 ฿93.7

32.19%

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

$1.99 CA$2.73

$0.68 ฿21.92

192.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.25

$0.40 ฿12.70

310.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 CA$7.73

$2.51 ฿80.4

124.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 CA$8.24

$3.80 ฿122

58.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 CA$2.92

$2.16 ฿69.3

-1.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 CA$3.69

$1.88 ฿60.3

43.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 CA$4.81

$2.16 ฿69.2

62.50%

Eggs

$3.37 CA$4.62

$2.22 ฿71.2

51.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 CA$15.22

$19.57 ฿627

-43.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 CA$15.95

$3.80 ฿122

206.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 CA$20.54

$13.41 ฿430

11.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 CA$5.66

$3.26 ฿104

26.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.86

$1.61 ฿51.7

-16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.17

$2.31 ฿74.0

63.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.23

$2.06 ฿66.0

85.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.38

$1.61 ฿51.5

53.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.39

$1.44 ฿46.26

71.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CA$3.48

$1.03 ฿33.01

146.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.38

$0.48 ฿15.39

262.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.79 CA$18.90

$4.50 ฿144

206.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.45 CA$17.05

$19.18 ฿615

-35.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 CA$3.84

$1.82 ฿58.4

53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CA$4.35

$2.69 ฿86.2

18.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 CA$3.21

$1.38 ฿44.16

69.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 CA$86.5

$11.76 ฿377

436.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 CA$4.27

$3.11 ฿99.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$1.97

$1.00 ฿32.18

44.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.45 CA$34.86

$13.74 ฿441

85.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.53

$1.30 ฿41.61

-14.62%

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

$24.7K CA$33.9K

$27.4K ฿877.0K

-9.56%

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

$21.0K CA$28.7K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-36.54%

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

$144 CA$198

$125 ฿4,004

15.58%

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

$43.53 CA$59.6

$13.74 ฿440

216.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.7 CA$87.2

$18.61 ฿597

242.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.16 CA$56.4

$60.6 ฿1,941

-32.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 CA$15.76

$9.01 ฿289

27.64%

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

$728 CA$997

$698 ฿22.4K

4.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.2K

$16.1K ฿516.5K

-26.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CA$75.8

$59.2 ฿1,898

-6.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.74 CA$54.5

$34.86 ฿1,118

14.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 CA$116

$114 ฿3,662

-25.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$146

$85.8 ฿2,751

24.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 CA$1,828

$619 ฿19.8K

115.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 CA$1,641

$437 ฿14.0K

174.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,030 CA$2,781

$2,075 ฿66.5K

-2.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 CA$2,515

$1,509 ฿48.4K

21.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,008 CA$6,860

$3,764 ฿120.7K

33.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,778 CA$5,176

$2,694 ฿86.4K

40.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,334 in Saint Andrews and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71 in Saint Andrews vs $47 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 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 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,547 in Saint Andrews and $1,870 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: $1,334 in Saint Andrews versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Saint Andrews versus $698 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 $1,247 in Phuket versus $2,365 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 90% less than in Saint Andrews. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.