Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint George's and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint George's and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,226 in Saint George's versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,017 in Saint George's versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,807 in Saint George's versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Saint George's costs roughly 3% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saint George's 8% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.52 EC$20.31

$4.70 ฿153

60.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 EC$303

$45.37 ฿1,482

147.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 EC$22.83

$8.43 ฿275

0.36%

Cappuccino

$4.55 EC$12.29

$2.93 ฿95.6

55.29%

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

$1.89 EC$5.11

$0.69 ฿22.40

173.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 EC$4.20

$0.37 ฿11.99

318.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 EC$5.36

$2.41 ฿78.6

-17.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 EC$9.92

$3.72 ฿122

-1.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.88 EC$10.47

$2.23 ฿72.9

73.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 EC$4.49

$1.83 ฿59.8

-9.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 EC$5.17

$2.17 ฿70.8

-11.98%

Eggs

$4.12 EC$11.13

$2.21 ฿72.3

86.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 EC$27.35

$19.74 ฿645

-48.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 EC$15.96

$3.63 ฿119

62.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 EC$28.06

$13.53 ฿442

-23.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 EC$7.30

$3.28 ฿107

-17.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 EC$4.90

$1.61 ฿52.6

13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 EC$4.59

$2.41 ฿78.6

-29.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 EC$7.75

$2.08 ฿68.1

37.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 EC$4.28

$1.53 ฿49.93

3.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 EC$4.10

$1.48 ฿48.36

2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 EC$3.44

$0.99 ฿32.29

28.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 EC$3.56

$0.51 ฿16.67

158.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 EC$5.03

$4.41 ฿144

-57.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 EC$18.00

$19.38 ฿633

-65.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 EC$5.04

$1.78 ฿58.1

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 EC$4.85

$2.71 ฿88.6

-33.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 EC$2.91

$1.37 ฿44.79

-21.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.31 EC$101

$11.39 ฿372

227.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$21.85 EC$59.0

$3.02 ฿98.6

623.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 EC$3.59

$1.36 ฿44.51

-2.21%

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

$24.7K EC$66.6K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-12.48%

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

$29.7K EC$80.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-9.76%

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

$209 EC$564

$122 ฿3,975

71.51%

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

$18.59 EC$50.2

$13.57 ฿443

36.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.62 EC$129

$18.31 ฿598

160.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.68 EC$99.0

$60.2 ฿1,967

-39.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.44 EC$49.80

$17.14 ฿560

7.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 EC$30.06

$8.69 ฿284

28.08%

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

$55.5 EC$150

$693 ฿22.6K

-91.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,294 EC$6,194

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-85.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.43 EC$68.7

$59.5 ฿1,944

-57.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 EC$118

$34.77 ฿1,136

25.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.82 EC$116

$115 ฿3,743

-62.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 EC$209

$83.3 ฿2,720

-7.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 EC$1,559

$613 ฿20.0K

-5.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 EC$784

$437 ฿14.3K

-33.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 EC$2,961

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-47.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 EC$1,386

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-66.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$406 EC$1,096

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-89.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$109.6K EC$295.8K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

4088.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 EC$2,495

$508 ฿16.6K

81.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

5.33

18.76%

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

Last update for Saint George's: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Saint George's and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint George's pays 82% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $112 in Saint George's vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $293, with Saint George's cheaper for home cooking.

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

Saint George's vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint George's is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Saint George's pays 82% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $577 in Saint George's versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $55.5 in Saint George's 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 8% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,226 in Saint George's versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saint George's but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Saint George's the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Saint George's is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Saint George's 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 Saint George's gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.