Cost of Living Comparison Between Saintes and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Saintes and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,778 in Saintes versus $1,243 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,778 in Saintes versus $2,023 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,777 in Saintes versus $2,803 in Phuket.

Living in Saintes is roughly 43% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saintes is 32% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.31 €18.93

$4.37 ฿147

387.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €61.0

$32.87 ฿1,103

109.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.99 €6.21

$8.39 ฿282

-16.69%

Cappuccino

$3.89 €3.46

$2.73 ฿91.8

42.49%

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

$2.89 €2.57

$0.88 ฿29.59

228.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.21

$0.47 ฿15.92

189.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.46 €6.63

$2.36 ฿79.1

216.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €4.09

$3.71 ฿124

23.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.83 ฿61.5

-40.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 €1.63

$1.45 ฿48.58

26.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 €1.81

$1.58 ฿52.9

29.11%

Eggs

$2.28 €2.03

$2.10 ฿70.4

8.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.03 €21.35

$19.37 ฿650

24.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.05 €9.82

$3.42 ฿115

223.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.90

$10.96 ฿368

63.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 €3.32

$3.00 ฿101

24.67%

Banana (1kg)

$3.70 €3.28

$1.64 ฿54.9

125.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.21 ฿74.1

-8.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.93 €4.38

$2.12 ฿71.2

132.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 €0.68

$1.47 ฿49.34

-47.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 €1.09

$1.32 ฿44.37

-7.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.07 ฿35.93

57.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 €0.35

$0.52 ฿17.61

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.40 €12.79

$4.38 ฿147

228.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 €7.94

$18.59 ฿624

-51.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.09

$1.75 ฿58.6

34.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.24

$2.86 ฿95.8

-11.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.26 ฿76.0

-5.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.82 €38.04

$22.98 ฿771

86.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.80 €4.26

$2.94 ฿98.7

63.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.07 ฿35.84

72.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.89 €30.10

$3.84 ฿129

782.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.79

$1.46 ฿48.96

37.67%

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

$37.4K €33.3K

$27.2K ฿912.2K

37.67%

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

$32.7K €29.0K

$26.6K ฿893.5K

22.75%

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

$136 €121

$102 ฿3,420

33.51%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$10.96 ฿368

4.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.04 €30.24

$16.89 ฿567

101.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.83 €32.72

$52.4 ฿1,758

-29.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.93 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$10.38 €9.22

$7.52 ฿252

38.03%

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

$709 €630

$547 ฿18.3K

29.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,423 €8,371

$11.3K ฿379.5K

-16.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €98.8

$63.2 ฿2,122

75.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.51 €35.98

$29.23 ฿981

38.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.4

$97.8 ฿3,282

13.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 €135

$86.7 ฿2,909

75.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 €696

$721 ฿24.2K

8.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 €471

$476 ฿16.0K

11.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 €1,226

$2,081 ฿69.8K

-33.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €1,010

$1,194 ฿40.1K

-4.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,952 €3,510

$3,577 ฿120.0K

10.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,835 €2,518

$2,541 ฿85.3K

11.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$489 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.57

-31.96%

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

Last update for Saintes: September 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Saintes and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Saintes vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $269 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

Saintes vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,667 in Saintes and $1,865 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $783 in Saintes versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $709 in Saintes versus $547 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Saintes. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,243 in Phuket versus $1,778 in Saintes, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saintes. 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 Saintes, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Saintes 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 43% less than in Saintes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.