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: $838 in Spanish Town versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,404 in Spanish Town versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,970 in Spanish Town versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Spanish Town costs roughly 34% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Spanish Town 38% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 JMD 1,149

$4.56 ฿149

60.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.6 JMD 9,679

$46.63 ฿1,519

32.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.52 JMD 1,340

$8.47 ฿276

0.59%

Cappuccino

$4.44 JMD 699

$3.03 ฿98.6

46.53%

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

$1.33 JMD 208

$0.69 ฿22.45

92.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 JMD 120

$0.37 ฿11.92

105.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 JMD 404

$2.49 ฿81.0

3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 JMD 500

$3.66 ฿119

-13.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 JMD 299

$2.18 ฿71.0

-12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 JMD 405

$1.90 ฿62.0

35.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.42 JMD 66.3

$2.20 ฿71.6

-80.91%

Eggs

$3.22 JMD 507

$2.22 ฿72.4

45.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.14 JMD 494

$19.99 ฿651

-84.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.98 JMD 311

$3.66 ฿119

-45.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.80 JMD 440

$13.25 ฿432

-78.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 JMD 347

$3.23 ฿105

-31.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 291

$1.70 ฿55.3

8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 252

$2.39 ฿78.0

-33.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 JMD 287

$2.08 ฿67.7

-12.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 JMD 332

$1.59 ฿51.8

32.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$1.48 ฿48.31

30.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 JMD 468

$1.03 ฿33.54

188.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 JMD 144

$0.52 ฿16.83

76.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.76 JMD 1,377

$4.25 ฿138

106.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.40 JMD 1,793

$18.79 ฿612

-39.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 JMD 243

$1.76 ฿57.2

-11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 JMD 389

$2.76 ฿89.8

-10.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 JMD 178

$3.14 ฿102

-64.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.24 JMD 509

$1.04 ฿33.74

211.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 JMD 995

$13.77 ฿448

-54.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 JMD 201

$1.34 ฿43.79

-4.48%

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

$42.2K JMD 6.6M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

52.63%

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

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

0.56%

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

$162 JMD 25.5K

$124 ฿4,025

31.05%

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

$21.92 JMD 3,448

$13.52 ฿440

62.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 JMD 7,982

$18.69 ฿609

171.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$13.21 JMD 2,078

$9.14 ฿298

44.53%

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

$226 JMD 35.6K

$703 ฿22.9K

-67.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,483 JMD 390.4K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-84.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.33 JMD 4,141

$59.5 ฿1,937

-55.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.43 JMD 4,000

$35.07 ฿1,142

-27.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 JMD 11.4K

$115 ฿3,754

-37.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 JMD 12.1K

$84.1 ฿2,737

-8.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 JMD 24.5K

$619 ฿20.1K

-74.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$123 JMD 19.4K

$433 ฿14.1K

-71.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 JMD 97.0K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-70.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 JMD 59.1K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-75.13%

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)

$1,160 JMD 182.5K

$507 ฿16.5K

128.86%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $156 in Spanish Town and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Spanish Town pays 129% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Spanish Town vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $293, 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 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Spanish Town pays 129% 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: $156 in Spanish Town versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Spanish Town versus $703 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 $62.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $838 in Spanish Town versus $1,261 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 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.