😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,604 in St. George, UT versus $1,265 in Phuket.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,749 in St. George, UT versus $2,297 in Phuket.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,894 in St. George, UT versus $3,329 in Phuket.
😐Living in St. George, UT is roughly 106% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: St. George, UT is 94% above, Phuket is 6% below.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
St. George, UT
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.05$19.05
$4.70฿154
305.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.4$74.4
$45.37฿1,488
63.96%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.89$10.89
$8.43฿276
29.18%
Cappuccino
$4.95$4.95
$2.93฿96.0
68.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59$2.59
$0.69฿22.48
275.36%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98$1.98
$0.37฿12.04
435.14%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.08$6.08
$2.41฿79.0
152.28%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.84$6.84
$3.72฿122
83.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
St. George, UT
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.00$1.00
$2.23฿73.2
-55.16%
White Bread(500g)
$3.54$3.54
$1.83฿60.1
93.44%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$4.23$4.23
$2.17฿71.1
94.93%
Eggs
$4.16$4.16
$2.21฿72.6
88.24%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.04$12.04
$19.74฿647
-39.01%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$11.32$11.32
$3.63฿119
211.85%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$15.19$15.19
$13.53฿444
12.27%
Apples(1kg)
$4.77$4.77
$3.28฿107
45.43%
Banana(1kg)
$1.63$1.63
$1.61฿52.8
1.24%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.19$4.19
$2.41฿79.0
73.86%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.80$4.80
$2.08฿68.3
130.77%
Potato(1kg)
$2.90$2.90
$1.53฿50.1
89.54%
Onion(1kg)
$2.76$2.76
$1.48฿48.56
86.49%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.08$2.08
$0.99฿32.42
110.10%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.10$2.10
$0.51฿16.73
311.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$9.82$9.82
$4.41฿144
122.68%
Wine(Bottle)
$13.97$13.97
$19.38฿636
-27.92%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.85$1.85
$1.78฿58.3
3.93%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31$3.31
$2.71฿88.9
22.14%
🚌 Getting Around
St. George, UT
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.99$1.99
$1.37฿44.96
45.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$11.39฿374
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.45$3.45
$3.02฿99.0
14.24%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.65$1.65
$0.99฿32.61
66.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$29.65$29.65
$14.10฿462
110.28%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.91$0.91
$1.36฿44.68
-33.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K$29.0K
$28.2K฿924.7K
2.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K$26.0K
$32.9K฿1.1M
-20.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
St. George, UT
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$186$186
$122฿3,991
53.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.8$51.8
$13.57฿445
281.58%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.8$67.8
$18.31฿600
270.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
St. George, UT
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$43.35$43.35
$60.2฿1,975
-28.01%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.14฿562
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.42$13.42
$8.69฿285
54.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
St. George, UT
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,281$1,281
$693฿22.7K
84.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$23.1K$23.1K
$15.7K฿514.4K
47.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
St. George, UT
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.3$51.3
$59.5฿1,952
-13.82%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.34$39.34
$34.77฿1,140
13.14%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$86.7$86.7
$115฿3,758
-24.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114$114
$83.3฿2,731
36.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
St. George, UT
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,603$1,603
$613฿20.1K
161.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,366$1,366
$437฿14.3K
212.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,674$2,674
$2,094฿68.7K
27.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,202$2,202
$1,509฿49.5K
45.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,824$2,824
$3,749฿122.9K
-24.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,461$2,461
$2,616฿85.8K
-5.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
St. George, UT
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$508฿16.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
6.51
5.33
22.14%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for St. George, UT: May 30, 2026
Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in St. George, UT and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $74.0 in St. George, UT vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $293 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. George, UT vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than St. George, UT?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $3,905 in St. George, UT and $1,898 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. George, UT and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,603 in St. George, UT versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,281 in St. George, UT versus $693 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. George, UT or Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $74.0 in St. George, UT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for St. George, UT or Phuket?
At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,604 in St. George, UT, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in St. George, UT. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is St. George, UT or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in St. George, UT, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, St. George, UT or Phuket?
Safety-wise, St. George, UT 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in St. George, UT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
St. George, UT vs other spots: cost of living compared