Cost of Living Comparison Between St Francis Bay and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between St Francis Bay and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,052 in St Francis Bay versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,736 in St Francis Bay versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,421 in St Francis Bay versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in St Francis Bay costs roughly 15% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: St Francis Bay 23% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.21 R 182

$4.41 ฿147

154.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.44 R 706

$32.26 ฿1,074

34.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.69 R 59.9

$8.93 ฿297

-58.68%

Cappuccino

$2.13 R 34.63

$2.90 ฿96.4

-26.55%

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

$1.10 R 17.81

$0.88 ฿29.30

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 12.85

$0.48 ฿16.01

64.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R 34.83

$2.35 ฿78.3

-8.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 R 30.23

$3.72 ฿124

-50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 R 14.88

$1.87 ฿62.1

-50.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.56

$1.47 ฿48.81

-26.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.21

$1.55 ฿51.7

Eggs

$2.87 R 46.62

$2.10 ฿70.0

36.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.56 R 123

$19.59 ฿652

-61.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.49 R 89.1

$3.42 ฿114

60.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.90 R 145

$11.38 ฿379

-21.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 R 35.58

$2.98 ฿99.3

-26.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.03

$1.68 ฿56.1

-4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.34

$2.21 ฿73.5

-21.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.24

$2.16 ฿72.0

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.21

$1.52 ฿50.8

14.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.35

$1.34 ฿44.55

7.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.08

$1.13 ฿37.57

15.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.42

$0.55 ฿18.19

83.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 R 53.2

$4.26 ฿142

-23.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 R 81.8

$19.09 ฿635

-73.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.70

$1.78 ฿59.2

-28.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 R 29.47

$2.78 ฿92.6

-34.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 R 25.79

$2.23 ฿74.2

-28.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 R 9.88

$3.03 ฿101

-79.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 R 8.33

$1.02 ฿34.06

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 R 138

$3.89 ฿130

118.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 R 22.15

$1.49 ฿49.63

-8.72%

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

$21.1K R 342.6K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

-20.66%

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

$35.1K R 570.9K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

30.02%

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

$62.8 R 1,021

$102 ฿3,411

-38.69%

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

$35.85 R 582

$11.33 ฿377

216.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.63 R 725

$17.40 ฿579

156.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.06 R 537

$52.1 ฿1,734

-36.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 R 201

$11.07 ฿369

11.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 R 149

$7.69 ฿256

19.64%

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

$183 R 2,972

$561 ฿18.7K

-67.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,461 R 105.0K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-43.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.2 R 1,189

$63.0 ฿2,098

16.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.76 R 630

$29.52 ฿983

31.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 R 1,893

$98.0 ฿3,263

18.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.1 R 1,593

$88.5 ฿2,946

10.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 R 7,054

$738 ฿24.6K

-41.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 R 5,982

$482 ฿16.1K

-23.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 R 13.2K

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-61.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 R 12.8K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-35.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$909 R 14.8K

$3,617 ฿120.4K

-74.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$696 R 11.3K

$2,603 ฿86.7K

-73.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

5.57

114.36%

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

Last update for St Francis Bay: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in St Francis Bay and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in St Francis Bay vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $196 vs $274, with St Francis Bay 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

St Francis Bay vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St Francis Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,578 in St Francis Bay and $1,847 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: $434 in St Francis Bay versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $183 in St Francis Bay versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in St Francis Bay – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,052 in St Francis Bay versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in St Francis Bay but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes St Francis Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, St Francis Bay 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, St Francis Bay 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 St Francis Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.