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: $1,609 in Saint George's versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,586 in Saint George's versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,562 in Saint George's versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Saint George's is roughly 28% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint George's is 17% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.38 EC$19.92

$4.56 ฿150

61.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$137 EC$369

$32.62 ฿1,072

319.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.24 EC$22.24

$8.90 ฿293

-7.42%

Cappuccino

$4.30 EC$11.62

$2.80 ฿92.2

53.57%

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

$1.89 EC$5.11

$0.88 ฿28.93

114.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 EC$5.37

$0.49 ฿16.08

306.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 EC$7.46

$2.39 ฿78.5

15.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 EC$9.85

$3.71 ฿122

-1.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.17 EC$11.26

$1.79 ฿58.7

132.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 EC$6.30

$1.44 ฿47.38

61.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 EC$4.79

$1.58 ฿52.1

12.03%

Eggs

$4.14 EC$11.18

$2.13 ฿69.9

94.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 EC$37.09

$19.92 ฿655

-31.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 EC$25.02

$3.43 ฿113

170.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 EC$36.79

$11.33 ฿372

20.30%

Apples (1kg)

$13.70 EC$36.98

$2.95 ฿96.9

364.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 EC$6.81

$1.72 ฿56.6

46.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 EC$4.50

$2.32 ฿76.4

-28.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.64 EC$15.24

$2.08 ฿68.4

171.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 EC$7.90

$1.47 ฿48.33

98.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.74 EC$10.09

$1.36 ฿44.64

175.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 EC$3.06

$1.10 ฿36.12

2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 EC$5.62

$0.57 ฿18.89

264.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$15.66 EC$42.29

$18.42 ฿605

-14.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 EC$5.95

$1.87 ฿61.5

17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 EC$6.69

$2.92 ฿96.0

-15.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 EC$2.45

$2.22 ฿72.9

-59.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 EC$176

$22.90 ฿753

184.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$30.18 EC$81.5

$3.03 ฿99.6

896.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 EC$3.70

$1.49 ฿49.04

-8.05%

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

$25.5K EC$68.7K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

-6.14%

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

$31.1K EC$84.0K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

13.27%

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

$247 EC$667

$103 ฿3,379

140.21%

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

$20.46 EC$55.3

$10.99 ฿361

86.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 EC$138

$17.51 ฿576

192.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.49 EC$98.5

$53.5 ฿1,760

-31.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 EC$49.49

$11.20 ฿368

63.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 EC$30.04

$7.48 ฿246

48.80%

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

$56.5 EC$152

$557 ฿18.3K

-89.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,371 EC$9,102

$11.9K ฿389.6K

-71.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.07 EC$94.7

$64.1 ฿2,106

-45.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.13 EC$122

$29.07 ฿956

55.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.85 EC$135

$96.0 ฿3,154

-48.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.8 EC$237

$90.3 ฿2,970

-2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 EC$3,057

$730 ฿24.0K

55.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 EC$1,192

$500 ฿16.4K

-11.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,014 EC$5,438

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-3.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 EC$1,919

$1,209 ฿39.7K

-41.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,151 EC$11.2K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

15.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$111.2K EC$300.3K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

4327.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$941 EC$2,540

$503 ฿16.5K

86.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

25.67%

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

Last update for Saint George's: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,132 in Saint George's and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint George's pays 87% 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: $137 in Saint George's vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $429 vs $273 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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Saint George's, 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: $1,132 in Saint George's versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $56.5 in Saint George's versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Saint George's. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,609 in Saint George's, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint George's. 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 George's, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Saint George's. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.