Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John Island and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $6,147 in Saint John Island, rent and utilities included – about $59,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

296

Cost of Living Index in Saint John Island
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Saint John Island Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Saint John Island

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$6,147

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint John Island and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Saint John Island and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $6,147 in Saint John Island versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Saint John Island $6,147
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $8,398 in Saint John Island versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Saint John Island $8,398
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $10.6K in Saint John Island versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Saint John Island $10.6K
Phuket $2,845

Living in Saint John Island is roughly 409% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint John Island is 354% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$70.5 $70.5

$4.40 ฿147

1502.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 $147

$32.26 ฿1,078

356.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.70 $14.70

$8.76 ฿293

67.81%

Cappuccino

$9.12 $9.12

$2.83 ฿94.5

222.26%

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

$3.57 $3.57

$0.90 ฿30.14

296.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$0.47 ฿15.56

631.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.55 ฿85.2

90.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$3.83 ฿128

77.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.73 ฿57.7

80.35%

White Bread (500g)

$8.12 $8.12

$1.47 ฿49.11

452.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$12.15 $12.15

$1.51 ฿50.6

704.64%

Eggs

$11.83 $11.83

$2.17 ฿72.7

445.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.38 $31.38

$19.70 ฿658

59.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.45 $32.45

$3.34 ฿112

871.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.40 $24.40

$11.16 ฿373

118.64%

Apples (1kg)

$22.40 $22.40

$2.85 ฿95.1

685.96%

Banana (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.70 ฿56.9

136.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$17.72 $17.72

$2.19 ฿73.3

709.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$12.20 $12.20

$2.05 ฿68.4

495.12%

Potato (1kg)

$7.90 $7.90

$1.45 ฿48.57

444.83%

Onion (1kg)

$7.88 $7.88

$1.38 ฿46.16

471.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.13 $5.13

$1.07 ฿35.69

379.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

$0.51 ฿16.91

584.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.26 ฿142

108.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.37 $23.37

$18.58 ฿621

25.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.42 $4.42

$1.78 ฿59.7

148.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.85 ฿95.2

111.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$7.10 $7.10

$2.26 ฿75.6

214.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 $150

$22.10 ฿738

578.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$30.19 $30.19

$3.01 ฿101

902.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.78 $49.78

$3.86 ฿129

1189.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.45 ฿48.45

12.41%

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

$47.1K $47.1K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

78.88%

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

$52.8K $52.8K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

96.00%

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

$302 $302

$96.4 ฿3,221

213.85%

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

$99.7 $99.7

$11.04 ฿369

802.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 $101

$17.14 ฿573

488.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

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

$556 ฿18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.6 $81.6

$64.2 ฿2,146

27.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.95 $49.95

$28.69 ฿959

74.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 $83.4

$95.4 ฿3,187

-12.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 $99.9

$88.0 ฿2,940

13.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,920 $3,920

$737 ฿24.6K

431.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,521 $3,521

$462 ฿15.5K

661.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,982 $4,982

$2,095 ฿70.0K

137.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,584 $4,584

$1,201 ฿40.1K

281.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,557 $4,557

$501 ฿16.7K

810.10%

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 John Island: October 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Saint John Island

$3.5K 57.3%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 86.9% $3.1K

Groceries & Markets

Saint John Island

$989 16.1%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 72.8% $720

Eating Out

Saint John Island

$784 12.8%

Phuket

$121 10% 84.5% $662

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint John Island

$503 8.2%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 75.2% $379

Getting Around

Saint John Island

$209 * 3.4%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 81.1% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Saint John Island

$142 2.3%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 12.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Saint John Island

- * 0%

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,920 in Saint John Island and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John Island pays 810% 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: $147 in Saint John Island vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $989 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇮 Saint John Island

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

08:32 8:32 AM

19:32 7:32 PM

11 h ahead of Saint John Island

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,170

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Saint John Island Phuket 16,560 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint John Island
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 John Island vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 409% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 810% higher in Saint John Island, 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: $3,920 in Saint John Island versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $147 in Saint John Island. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 579% less than in Saint John Island. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $6,147 in Saint John Island, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint John Island. 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 John Island, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Saint John Island 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 409% less than in Saint John Island. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.