Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John, New Brunswick and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John, New Brunswick and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,970 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,928 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,887 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Saint John, New Brunswick is roughly 57% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint John, New Brunswick is 43% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.25 CA$26.64

$4.56 ฿150

322.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 CA$83.8

$32.62 ฿1,072

85.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 CA$15.12

$8.90 ฿293

22.70%

Cappuccino

$3.16 CA$4.37

$2.80 ฿92.2

12.86%

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

$1.81 CA$2.51

$0.88 ฿28.93

105.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 CA$1.52

$0.49 ฿16.08

124.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.59 CA$6.35

$2.39 ฿78.5

92.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 CA$7.11

$3.71 ฿122

38.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CA$3.03

$1.79 ฿58.7

22.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CA$3.74

$1.44 ฿47.38

87.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 CA$4.45

$1.58 ฿52.1

103.80%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.11

$2.13 ฿69.9

73.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.85 CA$19.17

$19.92 ฿655

-30.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.81 CA$14.96

$3.43 ฿113

215.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 CA$18.18

$11.33 ฿372

15.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 CA$7.13

$2.95 ฿96.9

74.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CA$2.12

$1.72 ฿56.6

-10.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 CA$5.96

$2.32 ฿76.4

85.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.62

$2.08 ฿68.4

95.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 CA$2.94

$1.47 ฿48.33

44.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.10

$1.36 ฿44.64

64.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 CA$3.67

$1.10 ฿36.12

141.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.04

$0.57 ฿18.89

157.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.66 CA$20.29

$4.27 ฿140

243.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 CA$13.81

$18.42 ฿605

-45.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 CA$2.56

$1.87 ฿61.5

-1.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 CA$2.94

$2.92 ฿96.0

-27.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 CA$3.03

$2.22 ฿72.9

-1.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 CA$80.0

$22.90 ฿753

152.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 CA$4.09

$3.03 ฿99.6

-2.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.68

$1.07 ฿35.31

14.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.97 CA$30.41

$3.93 ฿129

459.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.68

$1.49 ฿49.04

-18.79%

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

$25.4K CA$35.2K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

-6.27%

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

$19.4K CA$26.9K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

-29.23%

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

$124 CA$172

$103 ฿3,379

20.89%

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

$41.81 CA$57.9

$10.99 ฿361

280.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 CA$90.5

$17.51 ฿576

273.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 CA$75.5

$53.5 ฿1,760

1.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.76 CA$49.49

$11.20 ฿368

219.29%

Cinema Ticket

$12.76 CA$17.65

$7.48 ฿246

70.59%

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

$384 CA$531

$557 ฿18.3K

-31.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K CA$15.9K

$11.9K ฿389.6K

-3.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 CA$71.2

$64.1 ฿2,106

-19.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.92 CA$49.70

$29.07 ฿956

23.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 CA$147

$96.0 ฿3,154

10.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$153

$90.3 ฿2,970

22.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,399

$730 ฿24.0K

38.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 CA$1,163

$500 ฿16.4K

68.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 CA$2,265

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-21.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,335 CA$1,847

$1,209 ฿39.7K

10.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,072 CA$2,867

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-42.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,192 CA$3,033

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-12.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,491 CA$3,447

$503 ฿16.5K

394.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.69

5.57

-15.80%

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

Last update for Saint John, New Brunswick: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,011 in Saint John, New Brunswick and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John, New Brunswick pays 395% 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: $61.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 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 John, New Brunswick vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 395% higher in Saint John, New Brunswick, 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: $1,011 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $384 in Saint John, New Brunswick 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 31% higher in Saint John, New Brunswick. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,970 in Saint John, New Brunswick, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint John, New Brunswick. 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, New Brunswick, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Saint John, New Brunswick 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 57% less than in Saint John, New Brunswick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.