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: $1,671 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.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.82 EC$37.32

$4.63 ฿151

198.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 EC$224

$46.84 ฿1,532

77.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 EC$29.55

$8.84 ฿289

23.76%

Cappuccino

$4.00 EC$10.81

$3.00 ฿98.0

33.33%

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

$2.05 EC$5.53

$0.74 ฿24.25

177.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 EC$2.47

$0.37 ฿11.95

145.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 EC$4.95

$2.44 ฿79.8

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 EC$11.76

$3.61 ฿118

20.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 EC$6.05

$2.26 ฿73.9

-0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 EC$7.64

$1.84 ฿60.1

53.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 EC$5.12

$2.24 ฿73.4

-15.18%

Eggs

$5.35 EC$14.44

$2.32 ฿75.7

130.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.24 EC$22.25

$19.67 ฿643

-58.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 EC$22.17

$3.65 ฿119

124.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$6.51 EC$17.57

$3.39 ฿111

92.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 EC$6.49

$1.64 ฿53.7

46.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.06 EC$21.77

$2.41 ฿79.0

234.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.21 EC$22.17

$2.03 ฿66.4

304.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 EC$7.78

$1.56 ฿50.9

84.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 EC$7.92

$1.50 ฿48.94

95.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 EC$7.06

$1.02 ฿33.50

156.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 EC$4.87

$0.49 ฿16.00

267.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$9.17 EC$24.77

$18.88 ฿617

-51.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 EC$7.24

$1.78 ฿58.1

50.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 EC$10.18

$2.75 ฿90.1

37.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 EC$2.80

$1.40 ฿45.81

-25.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 EC$14.67

$3.12 ฿102

74.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.70 EC$15.39

$1.00 ฿32.67

470.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.66 EC$53.1

$14.09 ฿461

39.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 EC$4.72

$1.35 ฿44.19

29.63%

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

$24.1K EC$65.2K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-11.20%

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

$20.7K EC$55.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-37.16%

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

$130 EC$352

$125 ฿4,087

4.35%

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

$40.98 EC$111

$13.57 ฿444

201.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.1 EC$195

$18.52 ฿606

289.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 EC$174

$61.5 ฿2,010

4.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.92 EC$99.7

$16.84 ฿551

119.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.05 EC$16.34

$9.19 ฿300

-34.17%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,831 EC$4,945

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-88.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 EC$198

$113 ฿3,699

-35.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 EC$2,992

$616 ฿20.1K

79.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$752 EC$2,030

$446 ฿14.6K

68.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 EC$4,442

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-19.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 EC$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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,361 EC$3,675

$524 ฿17.1K

159.84%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for 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.

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 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.

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.

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 $83.0 in Saint John's. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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.