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: $1,710 in Saint John's versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,733 in Saint John's versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,757 in Saint John's versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Saint John's is roughly 36% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint John's is 27% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.01 EC$37.84

$4.56 ฿149

207.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 EC$221

$46.63 ฿1,519

75.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 EC$30.56

$8.47 ฿276

33.65%

Cappuccino

$4.05 EC$10.93

$3.03 ฿98.6

33.66%

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

$2.05 EC$5.53

$0.69 ฿22.45

197.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 EC$2.63

$0.37 ฿11.92

164.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 EC$5.13

$2.49 ฿81.0

-23.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 EC$12.27

$3.66 ฿119

24.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 EC$5.86

$2.18 ฿71.0

-0.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 EC$7.54

$1.90 ฿62.0

46.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 EC$4.85

$2.20 ฿71.6

-18.64%

Eggs

$5.31 EC$14.35

$2.22 ฿72.4

139.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.98 EC$21.55

$19.99 ฿651

-60.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.31 EC$22.44

$3.66 ฿119

127.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

Apples (1kg)

$6.62 EC$17.86

$3.23 ฿105

104.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 EC$6.75

$1.70 ฿55.3

47.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.33 EC$22.49

$2.39 ฿78.0

248.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.12 EC$21.93

$2.08 ฿67.7

290.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 EC$7.79

$1.59 ฿51.8

81.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 EC$7.86

$1.48 ฿48.31

96.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 EC$6.85

$1.03 ฿33.54

146.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 EC$4.93

$0.52 ฿16.83

251.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

Wine (Bottle)

$9.24 EC$24.94

$18.79 ฿612

-50.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 EC$7.28

$1.76 ฿57.2

53.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 EC$9.91

$2.76 ฿89.8

32.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 EC$2.79

$1.36 ฿44.32

-24.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 EC$15.26

$3.14 ฿102

79.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.73 EC$15.46

$1.04 ฿33.74

450.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.20 EC$54.6

$13.77 ฿448

46.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 EC$4.71

$1.34 ฿43.79

29.85%

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

$23.3K EC$63.0K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-15.70%

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

$20.8K EC$56.0K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-38.71%

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

$129 EC$348

$124 ฿4,025

4.33%

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

$39.94 EC$108

$13.52 ฿440

195.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 EC$197

$18.69 ฿609

290.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.7 EC$172

$61.8 ฿2,013

3.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.27 EC$101

$17.25 ฿562

116.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 EC$16.78

$9.14 ฿298

-31.95%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,851 EC$4,997

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-88.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 EC$198

$115 ฿3,754

-36.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 EC$3,039

$619 ฿20.1K

81.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 EC$2,036

$433 ฿14.1K

74.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 EC$4,425

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-20.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 EC$4,046

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-0.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,381 EC$3,729

$507 ฿16.5K

172.44%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,126 in Saint John's and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John's pays 172% 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: $82.0 in Saint John's vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $293 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 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Saint John's pays 172% 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: $1,126 in Saint John's versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% 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 $47.00 versus $82.0 in Saint John's. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,710 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 36% less than in Saint John's. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.