🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in St Francis Bay versus $1,232 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,569 in St Francis Bay versus $2,255 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,134 in St Francis Bay versus $3,279 in Phuket.
🙂Living in St Francis Bay costs roughly 19% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: St Francis Bay25% lower, Phuket8% lower.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
St Francis Bay
Phuket
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.29R 137
$4.63฿151
79.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.26R 551
$46.84฿1,523
-28.99%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.80R 79.5
$8.84฿287
-45.70%
Cappuccino
$2.06R 34.09
$3.00฿97.4
-31.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.04R 17.14
$0.74฿24.11
40.54%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81R 13.39
$0.37฿11.88
118.92%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.30R 38.07
$2.44฿79.3
-5.74%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46R 40.79
$3.61฿117
-31.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
St Francis Bay
Phuket
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$1.12R 18.53
$2.26฿73.5
-50.44%
White Bread(500g)
$1.05R 17.40
$1.84฿59.8
-42.93%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.64R 27.08
$2.24฿73.0
-26.79%
Eggs
$2.39R 39.60
$2.32฿75.3
3.02%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.87R 130
$19.67฿639
-59.99%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.61R 76.4
$3.65฿119
26.30%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$6.88R 114
$13.10฿426
-47.48%
Apples(1kg)
$1.65R 27.38
$3.39฿110
-51.33%
Banana(1kg)
$1.51R 25.04
$1.64฿53.4
-7.93%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.55R 25.60
$2.41฿78.5
-35.68%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.59R 26.33
$2.03฿66.0
-21.67%
Potato(1kg)
$1.36R 22.51
$1.56฿50.6
-12.82%
Onion(1kg)
$1.22R 20.26
$1.50฿48.66
-18.67%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.05R 17.33
$1.02฿33.30
2.94%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.98R 16.29
$0.49฿15.91
100.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.76R 45.75
$4.45฿145
-37.98%
Wine(Bottle)
$4.86R 80.5
$18.88฿614
-74.26%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.34R 22.13
$1.78฿57.7
-24.72%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66R 27.54
$2.75฿89.5
-39.64%
🚌 Getting Around
St Francis Bay
Phuket
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.69R 27.97
$1.40฿45.54
20.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$11.48฿373
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.13R 18.77
$3.12฿101
-63.78%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.96R 15.96
$1.00฿32.48
-4.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.14R 68.4
$14.09฿458
-70.62%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.28R 21.24
$1.35฿43.93
-5.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6KR 358.0K
$27.2K฿883.7K
-20.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.4KR 387.9K
$32.9K฿1.1M
-28.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
St Francis Bay
Phuket
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$119R 1,972
$125฿4,063
-4.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.75R 592
$13.57฿441
163.45%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.17R 681
$18.52฿602
122.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
St Francis Bay
Phuket
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$30.49R 505
$61.5฿1,999
-50.41%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.03R 183
$16.84฿547
-34.50%
Cinema Ticket
$6.61R 109
$9.19฿299
-28.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
St Francis Bay
Phuket
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$193R 3,200
$698฿22.7K
-72.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$4,310R 71.3K
$15.6K฿506.9K
-72.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
St Francis Bay
Phuket
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.76R 824
$57.8฿1,878
-13.85%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.85R 527
$35.24฿1,146
-9.62%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$88.8R 1,469
$113฿3,677
-21.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.7R 1,319
$86.4฿2,808
-7.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
St Francis Bay
Phuket
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$367R 6,067
$616฿20.0K
-40.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$336R 5,562
$446฿14.5K
-24.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$685R 11.3K
$2,048฿66.6K
-66.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$702R 11.6K
$1,492฿48.5K
-52.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$673R 11.1K
$3,779฿122.8K
-82.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$590R 9,765
$2,649฿86.1K
-77.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
St Francis Bay
Phuket
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$524฿17.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
11.51
5.33
115.95%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para St Francis Bay: April 28, 2026
Última actualización para Phuket: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $367 in St Francis Bay and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $33.00 in St Francis Bay vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $292 per month, with St Francis Bay cheaper across the board.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
St Francis Bay vs Phuket: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Is Phuket cheaper than St Francis Bay?
St Francis Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,505 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.
What is the rent difference between St Francis Bay and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $367 in St Francis Bay versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $193 in St Francis Bay versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in St Francis Bay or Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in St Francis Bay – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for St Francis Bay or Phuket?
At $1,003 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.
Is St Francis Bay or Phuket more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, St Francis Bay or Phuket?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find St Francis Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
St Francis Bay vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado