Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John's and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John's and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,730 in Saint John's versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,728 in Saint John's versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,727 in Saint John's versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Saint John's is roughly 37% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint John's is 30% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.91 EC$37.56

$4.48 ฿150

210.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.6 EC$223

$45.59 ฿1,525

81.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 EC$30.45

$8.76 ฿293

28.77%

Cappuccino

$3.86 EC$10.43

$2.97 ฿99.3

29.97%

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

$2.10 EC$5.66

$0.69 ฿22.96

204.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 EC$2.68

$0.39 ฿13.07

153.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 EC$4.92

$2.53 ฿84.7

-28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 EC$12.32

$3.75 ฿125

21.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 EC$6.11

$2.15 ฿71.8

5.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 EC$7.31

$1.82 ฿60.7

48.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 EC$4.90

$2.18 ฿73.1

-16.51%

Eggs

$5.44 EC$14.69

$2.25 ฿75.2

141.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 EC$21.93

$20.00 ฿669

-59.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 EC$22.50

$3.63 ฿121

129.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

Apples (1kg)

$6.51 EC$17.57

$3.24 ฿109

100.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 EC$6.55

$1.64 ฿54.7

47.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.06 EC$21.77

$2.33 ฿78.0

245.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.27 EC$22.34

$2.07 ฿69.3

299.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.94 EC$7.94

$1.55 ฿51.8

89.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 EC$7.92

$1.46 ฿48.67

100.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 EC$6.79

$0.98 ฿32.94

157.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 EC$5.05

$0.48 ฿16.13

289.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

Wine (Bottle)

$9.20 EC$24.84

$18.57 ฿621

-50.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 EC$7.40

$1.86 ฿62.1

47.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 EC$9.72

$2.65 ฿88.8

35.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 EC$2.70

$1.42 ฿47.40

-29.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 EC$14.63

$3.17 ฿106

70.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.69 EC$15.38

$1.03 ฿34.51

452.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.86 EC$53.6

$13.89 ฿465

42.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 EC$4.57

$1.34 ฿44.96

26.12%

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

$24.0K EC$64.8K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

-13.62%

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

$20.8K EC$56.2K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-37.65%

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

$131 EC$353

$123 ฿4,116

6.27%

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

$40.15 EC$108

$13.77 ฿461

191.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.2 EC$198

$18.33 ฿613

299.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 EC$177

$60.7 ฿2,030

8.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.64 EC$98.9

$17.16 ฿574

113.52%

Cinema Ticket

$5.93 EC$16.01

$8.87 ฿297

-33.15%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,836 EC$4,958

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-88.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 EC$200

$115 ฿3,853

-35.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 EC$2,943

$621 ฿20.8K

75.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 EC$1,977

$446 ฿14.9K

64.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 EC$4,512

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-17.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,487 EC$4,014

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-0.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 EC$3,656

$494 ฿16.5K

174.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

5.33

3.19%

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

Last update for Saint John's: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,090 in Saint John's and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John's pays 174% 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: $83.0 in Saint John's vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $291 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's vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 174% higher in Saint John'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: $1,090 in Saint John's versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Saint John's. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $83.0 in Saint John's. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,730 in Saint John's, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint John'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 John's, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Saint John'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 37% less than in Saint John's. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.