Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Andrews and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Andrews and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,353 in St. Andrews versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,993 in St. Andrews versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,633 in St. Andrews versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in St. Andrews is roughly 88% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St. Andrews is 71% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.49 £15.90

$4.56 ฿150

371.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 £65.0

$32.62 ฿1,072

169.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 £7.87

$8.90 ฿293

19.44%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.46

$2.80 ฿92.2

67.14%

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

$2.60 £1.92

$0.88 ฿28.93

195.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 £1.50

$0.49 ฿16.08

314.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 £4.93

$2.39 ฿78.5

178.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 £4.87

$3.71 ฿122

77.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.79 ฿58.7

-10.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 £1.35

$1.44 ฿47.38

27.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.58 ฿52.1

22.15%

Eggs

$4.61 £3.41

$2.13 ฿69.9

116.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 £5.60

$19.92 ฿655

-62.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.78 £7.23

$3.43 ฿113

185.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 £11.67

$11.33 ฿372

39.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 £1.87

$2.95 ฿96.9

-14.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.72 ฿56.6

-20.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 £2.08

$2.32 ฿76.4

21.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 £2.08

$2.08 ฿68.4

35.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.35

$1.47 ฿48.33

24.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.36 ฿44.64

13.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.10 ฿36.12

12.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 £1.85

$0.57 ฿18.89

340.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.68 £16.78

$4.27 ฿140

431.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 £8.46

$18.42 ฿605

-37.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 £2.01

$1.87 ฿61.5

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 £2.36

$2.92 ฿96.0

9.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.82 £3.57

$2.22 ฿72.9

117.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 £3.09

$3.03 ฿99.6

37.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 £1.75

$1.07 ฿35.31

121.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.58 £18.19

$3.93 ฿129

525.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.52

$1.49 ฿49.04

38.26%

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

$38.9K £28.8K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

43.34%

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

$40.8K £30.2K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

48.67%

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

$249 £184

$103 ฿3,379

141.79%

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

$13.41 £9.92

$10.99 ฿361

22.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.84 £31.70

$17.51 ฿576

144.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.0 £71.0

$53.5 ฿1,760

79.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$13.66 £10.10

$7.48 ฿246

82.62%

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

$1,809 £1,338

$557 ฿18.3K

224.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K £17.5K

$11.9K ฿389.6K

99.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 £74.0

$64.1 ฿2,106

56.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.36 £36.52

$29.07 ฿956

69.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 £79.4

$96.0 ฿3,154

11.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 £67.5

$90.3 ฿2,970

1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 £1,024

$730 ฿24.0K

89.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 £788

$500 ฿16.4K

112.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 £2,312

$2,090 ฿68.7K

49.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,718 £2,011

$1,209 ฿39.7K

124.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,205 £4,590

$3,596 ฿118.2K

72.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,743 £2,029

$2,512 ฿82.6K

9.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,424 £2,533

$503 ฿16.5K

580.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.41

5.57

-2.87%

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

Last update for St. Andrews: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,384 in St. Andrews and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Andrews pays 580% 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: $88.0 in St. Andrews vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $273 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

St. Andrews vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 580% higher in St. Andrews, 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: $1,384 in St. Andrews versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,809 in St. Andrews versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $88.0 in St. Andrews. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,353 in St. Andrews, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in St. Andrews. 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 St. Andrews, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, St. Andrews 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 88% less than in St. Andrews. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.