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: $2,095 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,020 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,946 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $3,317 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint John, New Brunswick is 57% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.02 CA$30.98

$4.55 ฿153

383.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 CA$85.3

$46.18 ฿1,553

31.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 CA$14.58

$8.84 ฿297

17.31%

Cappuccino

$3.15 CA$4.43

$3.06 ฿103

2.94%

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

$1.68 CA$2.37

$0.73 ฿24.40

130.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 CA$1.65

$0.40 ฿13.39

192.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.34 CA$6.11

$2.43 ฿81.8

78.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 CA$7.10

$3.78 ฿127

33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 CA$2.83

$2.26 ฿76.0

-11.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 CA$4.13

$1.81 ฿60.9

62.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.57

$2.25 ฿75.8

-18.67%

Eggs

$3.64 CA$5.12

$2.25 ฿75.5

61.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 CA$16.28

$19.51 ฿656

-40.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.80 CA$12.39

$3.65 ฿123

141.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.27 CA$22.90

$13.05 ฿439

24.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.56

$3.23 ฿109

22.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$1.62 ฿54.4

-10.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 CA$5.12

$2.38 ฿80.1

52.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 CA$6.14

$2.03 ฿68.1

115.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 CA$2.89

$1.53 ฿51.6

34.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CA$3.01

$1.50 ฿50.5

42.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 CA$3.77

$0.98 ฿32.91

173.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CA$2.10

$0.52 ฿17.39

186.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.33 CA$25.79

$4.44 ฿149

312.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.62 CA$13.54

$18.32 ฿616

-47.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 CA$4.77

$1.86 ฿62.7

82.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 CA$4.59

$2.68 ฿90.1

21.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.15 CA$3.02

$1.41 ฿47.46

52.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.2 CA$84.7

$11.70 ฿393

414.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 CA$5.11

$3.11 ฿105

16.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CA$1.57

$1.04 ฿35.06

6.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.56 CA$41.59

$14.11 ฿474

109.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.70

$1.31 ฿44.10

-7.63%

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

$24.7K CA$34.7K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-11.28%

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

$20.1K CA$28.2K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-39.63%

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

$129 CA$181

$122 ฿4,118

5.25%

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

$37.71 CA$53.1

$13.59 ฿457

177.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 CA$89.8

$18.70 ฿629

241.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.19 CA$59.4

$60.5 ฿2,034

-30.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.57 CA$51.5

$16.98 ฿571

115.37%

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 CA$15.63

$9.07 ฿305

22.49%

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

$164 CA$231

$706 ฿23.8K

-76.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$16.4K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-26.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.85 CA$58.9

$58.6 ฿1,969

-28.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.13 CA$60.7

$35.36 ฿1,189

21.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 CA$121

$115 ฿3,883

-25.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 CA$168

$83.7 ฿2,816

43.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 CA$1,452

$626 ฿21.0K

64.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$962 CA$1,353

$445 ฿15.0K

116.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,643 CA$2,311

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-19.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 CA$1,982

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-5.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,016 CA$2,837

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-42.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 CA$2,939

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-18.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,501 CA$3,519

$500 ฿16.8K

400.32%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,032 in Saint John, New Brunswick and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John, New Brunswick pays 400% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $289 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.

Average pay runs 400% 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: $1,032 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $706 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 $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,095 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.