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: $861 in Spanish Town versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,433 in Spanish Town versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,005 in Spanish Town versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Spanish Town costs roughly 30% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Spanish Town 36% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.35 JMD 1,158

$4.63 ฿151

58.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 JMD 9,809

$46.84 ฿1,523

32.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 JMD 1,383

$8.84 ฿287

-0.68%

Cappuccino

$4.47 JMD 704

$3.00 ฿97.4

49.00%

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

$1.30 JMD 205

$0.74 ฿24.11

75.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 118

$0.37 ฿11.88

102.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 JMD 406

$2.44 ฿79.3

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 JMD 490

$3.61 ฿117

-13.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 JMD 291

$2.26 ฿73.5

-18.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 JMD 421

$1.84 ฿59.8

45.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.45 JMD 71.1

$2.24 ฿73.0

-79.91%

Eggs

$3.22 JMD 507

$2.32 ฿75.3

38.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.19 JMD 503

$19.67 ฿639

-83.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.99 JMD 314

$3.65 ฿119

-45.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.79 JMD 439

$13.10 ฿426

-78.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 JMD 353

$3.39 ฿110

-33.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 JMD 294

$1.64 ฿53.4

14.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 JMD 242

$2.41 ฿78.5

-36.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 JMD 305

$2.03 ฿66.0

-4.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 JMD 333

$1.56 ฿50.6

35.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 JMD 314

$1.50 ฿48.66

32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 JMD 476

$1.02 ฿33.30

196.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 JMD 144

$0.49 ฿15.91

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.91 JMD 1,404

$4.45 ฿145

100.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 JMD 1,789

$18.88 ฿614

-39.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 JMD 242

$1.78 ฿57.7

-13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 JMD 388

$2.75 ฿89.5

-10.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 JMD 175

$3.12 ฿101

-64.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.27 JMD 514

$1.00 ฿32.48

227.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 JMD 988

$14.09 ฿458

-55.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 JMD 202

$1.35 ฿43.93

-5.19%

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

$42.7K JMD 6.7M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

56.98%

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

$34.0K JMD 5.3M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

3.14%

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

$161 JMD 25.3K

$125 ฿4,063

28.76%

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

$22.23 JMD 3,501

$13.57 ฿441

63.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 JMD 7,882

$18.52 ฿602

170.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 JMD 2,064

$9.19 ฿299

42.66%

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

$225 JMD 35.4K

$698 ฿22.7K

-67.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,457 JMD 386.9K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-84.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.73 JMD 4,052

$57.8 ฿1,878

-55.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.06 JMD 3,947

$35.24 ฿1,146

-28.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 JMD 11.1K

$113 ฿3,677

-37.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 JMD 12.2K

$86.4 ฿2,808

-10.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 JMD 24.5K

$616 ฿20.0K

-74.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$128 JMD 20.1K

$446 ฿14.5K

-71.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 JMD 100.5K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-68.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 JMD 58.8K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-74.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,166 JMD 183.7K

$524 ฿17.0K

122.66%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $156 in Spanish Town and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Spanish Town pays 123% 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 $195 vs $292, 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 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Spanish Town pays 123% 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 $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Spanish Town versus $698 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 $861 in Spanish Town versus $1,232 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 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.