😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,671 in Saint John's versus $1,232 in Phuket.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,722 in Saint John's versus $2,255 in Phuket.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,772 in Saint John's versus $3,279 in Phuket.
😐Living in Saint John's is roughly 36% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Saint John's is 25% above, Phuket is 8% below.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Saint John's
Phuket
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.82EC$37.32
$4.63฿151
198.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.1EC$224
$46.84฿1,532
77.33%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.94EC$29.55
$8.84฿289
23.76%
Cappuccino
$4.00EC$10.81
$3.00฿98.0
33.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05EC$5.53
$0.74฿24.25
177.03%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.91EC$2.47
$0.37฿11.95
145.95%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.83EC$4.95
$2.44฿79.8
-25.00%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35EC$11.76
$3.61฿118
20.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saint John's
Phuket
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$2.24EC$6.05
$2.26฿73.9
-0.88%
White Bread(500g)
$2.83EC$7.64
$1.84฿60.1
53.80%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.90EC$5.12
$2.24฿73.4
-15.18%
Eggs
$5.35EC$14.44
$2.32฿75.7
130.60%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.24EC$22.25
$19.67฿643
-58.11%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.21EC$22.17
$3.65฿119
124.93%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
-
$13.10฿428
-
Apples(1kg)
$6.51EC$17.57
$3.39฿111
92.04%
Banana(1kg)
$2.40EC$6.49
$1.64฿53.7
46.34%
Oranges(1kg)
$8.06EC$21.77
$2.41฿79.0
234.44%
Tomato(1kg)
$8.21EC$22.17
$2.03฿66.4
304.43%
Potato(1kg)
$2.88EC$7.78
$1.56฿50.9
84.62%
Onion(1kg)
$2.93EC$7.92
$1.50฿48.94
95.33%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.62EC$7.06
$1.02฿33.50
156.86%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80EC$4.87
$0.49฿16.00
267.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
-
$4.45฿145
-
Wine(Bottle)
$9.17EC$24.77
$18.88฿617
-51.43%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.68EC$7.24
$1.78฿58.1
50.56%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77EC$10.18
$2.75฿90.1
37.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Saint John's
Phuket
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.04EC$2.80
$1.40฿45.81
-25.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$11.48฿376
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.43EC$14.67
$3.12฿102
74.04%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$5.70EC$15.39
$1.00฿32.67
470.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$19.66EC$53.1
$14.09฿461
39.53%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.75EC$4.72
$1.35฿44.19
29.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.1KEC$65.2K
$27.2K฿888.9K
-11.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.7KEC$55.9K
$32.9K฿1.1M
-37.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint John's
Phuket
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$130EC$352
$125฿4,087
4.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$40.98EC$111
$13.57฿444
201.99%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.1EC$195
$18.52฿606
289.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saint John's
Phuket
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$64.4EC$174
$61.5฿2,010
4.81%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$36.92EC$99.7
$16.84฿551
119.24%
Cinema Ticket
$6.05EC$16.34
$9.19฿300
-34.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saint John's
Phuket
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
-
$698฿22.8K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$1,831EC$4,945
$15.6K฿509.9K
-88.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saint John's
Phuket
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$57.8฿1,889
-
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$35.24฿1,152
-
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$73.4EC$198
$113฿3,699
-35.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$86.4฿2,825
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saint John's
Phuket
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,108EC$2,992
$616฿20.1K
79.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$752EC$2,030
$446฿14.6K
68.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,645EC$4,442
$2,048฿67.0K
-19.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,494EC$4,035
$1,492฿48.8K
0.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,779฿123.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,649฿86.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saint John's
Phuket
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,361EC$3,675
$524฿17.1K
159.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.5
5.33
3.19%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Saint John's: April 27, 2026
Última actualización para Phuket: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,108 in Saint John's and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Saint John's pays 160% 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 $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $292 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Saint John's vs Phuket: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Is Phuket cheaper than Saint John's?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Saint John's or Phuket?
Saint John's pays 160% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Saint John's and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,108 in Saint John's versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Saint John's and Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Saint John's. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Saint John's or Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $83.0 in Saint John's. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Saint John's or Phuket?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,671 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.
Is Saint John's or Phuket more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Saint John's or Phuket?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Saint John's. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Saint John's vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado