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: $2,091 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $1,247 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,020 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,949 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $3,306 in Phuket.

Living in Saint John, New Brunswick is roughly 68% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint John, New Brunswick is 55% above, Phuket is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.77 CA$29.82

$4.59 ฿147

374.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 CA$83.6

$46.83 ฿1,501

30.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 CA$14.31

$8.70 ฿279

20.11%

Cappuccino

$3.03 CA$4.15

$2.92 ฿93.7

3.77%

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

$1.70 CA$2.33

$0.68 ฿21.92

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CA$1.67

$0.40 ฿12.70

205.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.39 CA$6.01

$2.51 ฿80.4

74.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 CA$6.97

$3.80 ฿122

33.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 CA$2.69

$2.16 ฿69.3

-8.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 CA$3.99

$1.88 ฿60.3

54.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.45

$2.16 ฿69.2

-17.13%

Eggs

$3.55 CA$4.87

$2.22 ฿71.2

59.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 CA$15.84

$19.57 ฿627

-40.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.61 CA$11.79

$3.80 ฿122

126.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.26 CA$22.28

$13.41 ฿430

21.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.52

$3.26 ฿104

23.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 CA$2.06

$1.61 ฿51.7

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 CA$4.98

$2.31 ฿74.0

57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 CA$6.06

$2.06 ฿66.0

115.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 CA$2.88

$1.61 ฿51.5

30.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.01

$1.44 ฿46.26

52.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 CA$3.77

$1.03 ฿33.01

166.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CA$2.06

$0.48 ฿15.39

214.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.35 CA$25.14

$4.50 ฿144

307.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 CA$14.08

$19.18 ฿615

-46.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 CA$4.54

$1.82 ฿58.4

81.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CA$4.62

$2.69 ฿86.2

25.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 CA$3.07

$1.38 ฿44.16

62.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.5 CA$82.8

$11.76 ฿377

414.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$4.90

$3.11 ฿99.6

14.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 CA$1.53

$1.00 ฿32.18

12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.47 CA$40.37

$13.74 ฿441

114.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.61

$1.30 ฿41.61

-10.00%

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

$25.1K CA$34.3K

$27.4K ฿877.0K

-8.43%

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

$19.9K CA$27.3K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-39.64%

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

$127 CA$175

$125 ฿4,004

2.06%

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

$38.36 CA$52.6

$13.74 ฿440

179.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 CA$86.9

$18.61 ฿597

240.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.93 CA$58.8

$60.6 ฿1,941

-29.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.01 CA$50.7

$17.15 ฿550

115.80%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 CA$15.16

$9.01 ฿289

22.75%

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

$168 CA$231

$698 ฿22.4K

-75.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$15.9K

$16.1K ฿516.5K

-28.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.92 CA$56.1

$59.2 ฿1,898

-30.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.57 CA$58.3

$34.86 ฿1,118

22.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 CA$116

$114 ฿3,662

-25.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$168

$85.8 ฿2,751

43.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 CA$1,422

$619 ฿19.8K

67.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 CA$1,333

$437 ฿14.0K

122.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 CA$2,178

$2,075 ฿66.5K

-23.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 CA$1,979

$1,509 ฿48.4K

-4.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,133 CA$2,922

$3,764 ฿120.7K

-43.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 CA$3,016

$2,694 ฿86.4K

-18.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,684 CA$3,677

$528 ฿16.9K

407.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

5.33

15.95%

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

Last update for Saint John, New Brunswick: April 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,038 in Saint John, New Brunswick and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John, New Brunswick pays 408% 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 in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $47 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $292 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Saint John, New Brunswick pays 408% 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: $1,038 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $168 in Saint John, New Brunswick 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 19% higher in Saint John, New Brunswick. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $2,091 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 68% less than in Saint John, New Brunswick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.