Cost of Living Comparison Between Spanish Town and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Spanish Town and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Spanish Town versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,446 in Spanish Town versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,032 in Spanish Town versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Spanish Town costs roughly 32% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Spanish Town 35% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 JMD 1,210

$4.48 ฿150

71.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 JMD 9,846

$45.59 ฿1,525

37.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 JMD 1,347

$8.76 ฿293

-2.28%

Cappuccino

$4.40 JMD 692

$2.97 ฿99.3

48.15%

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

$1.31 JMD 206

$0.69 ฿22.96

89.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 110

$0.39 ฿13.07

79.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 JMD 382

$2.53 ฿84.7

-3.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 JMD 488

$3.75 ฿125

-17.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 JMD 301

$2.15 ฿71.8

-10.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 JMD 404

$1.82 ฿60.7

41.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.43 JMD 67.2

$2.18 ฿73.1

-80.28%

Eggs

$3.04 JMD 479

$2.25 ฿75.2

35.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.10 JMD 487

$20.00 ฿669

-84.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.91 JMD 300

$3.63 ฿121

-47.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.74 JMD 431

$13.56 ฿453

-79.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 JMD 343

$3.24 ฿109

-32.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 JMD 298

$1.64 ฿54.7

15.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 JMD 241

$2.33 ฿78.0

-34.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 JMD 288

$2.07 ฿69.3

-11.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 JMD 333

$1.55 ฿51.8

36.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 JMD 305

$1.46 ฿48.67

32.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 JMD 471

$0.98 ฿32.94

205.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 JMD 142

$0.48 ฿16.13

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.65 JMD 1,361

$4.35 ฿146

98.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 JMD 1,825

$18.57 ฿621

-37.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 JMD 244

$1.86 ฿62.1

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 JMD 389

$2.65 ฿88.8

-6.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 JMD 169

$3.17 ฿106

-65.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 JMD 495

$1.03 ฿34.51

205.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.35 JMD 999

$13.89 ฿465

-54.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 JMD 193

$1.34 ฿44.96

-8.96%

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

$43.0K JMD 6.8M

$27.8K ฿929.6K

54.74%

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

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-1.44%

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

$166 JMD 26.2K

$123 ฿4,116

35.29%

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

$22.08 JMD 3,473

$13.77 ฿461

60.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 JMD 8,033

$18.33 ฿613

178.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

Cinema Ticket

$12.93 JMD 2,034

$8.87 ฿297

45.77%

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

$230 JMD 36.2K

$688 ฿23.0K

-66.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,516 JMD 395.8K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-84.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.46 JMD 4,161

$59.3 ฿1,984

-55.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 JMD 3,973

$34.69 ฿1,160

-27.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 JMD 11.3K

$115 ฿3,853

-37.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.1 JMD 12.1K

$83.8 ฿2,802

-7.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$159 JMD 25.0K

$621 ฿20.8K

-74.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$123 JMD 19.3K

$446 ฿14.9K

-72.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 JMD 99.6K

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-68.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 JMD 59.8K

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-74.61%

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)

$1,183 JMD 186.0K

$494 ฿16.5K

139.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

5.33

71.67%

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

Last update for Spanish Town: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $159 in Spanish Town and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Spanish Town pays 140% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Spanish Town vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 vs $291, with Spanish Town cheaper for home cooking.

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

Spanish Town vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Spanish Town is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 140% higher in Spanish Town, 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: $159 in Spanish Town versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Spanish Town versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Spanish Town – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $859 in Spanish Town versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Spanish Town but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Spanish Town the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Spanish Town is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Spanish Town 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 Spanish Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.