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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in St.James versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,628 in St.James versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,320 in St.James versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in St.James costs roughly 24% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: St.James 30% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.25 TTD 69.6

$4.63 ฿151

121.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.4 TTD 607

$46.84 ฿1,523

90.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 TTD 50.7

$8.84 ฿287

-15.61%

Cappuccino

$3.67 TTD 24.95

$3.00 ฿97.4

22.33%

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

$1.09 TTD 7.39

$0.74 ฿24.11

47.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 TTD 5.58

$0.37 ฿11.88

121.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 TTD 12.41

$2.44 ฿79.3

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 TTD 20.62

$3.61 ฿117

-15.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.68 TTD 18.19

$2.26 ฿73.5

18.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 TTD 19.07

$1.84 ฿59.8

52.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 TTD 17.54

$2.24 ฿73.0

15.18%

Eggs

$5.04 TTD 34.24

$2.32 ฿75.3

117.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.99 TTD 54.3

$19.67 ฿639

-59.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.50 TTD 71.3

$3.65 ฿119

187.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 TTD 95.9

$13.10 ฿426

7.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.85 TTD 39.71

$3.39 ฿110

72.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 TTD 17.83

$1.64 ฿53.4

60.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 TTD 29.43

$2.41 ฿78.5

79.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 TTD 31.80

$2.03 ฿66.0

130.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 TTD 10.12

$1.56 ฿50.6

-4.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 TTD 11.32

$1.50 ฿48.66

11.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 TTD 12.82

$1.02 ฿33.30

85.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TTD 9.52

$0.49 ฿15.91

185.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 TTD 39.26

$4.45 ฿145

29.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 TTD 131

$18.88 ฿614

2.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 TTD 14.25

$1.78 ฿57.7

17.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 TTD 18.29

$2.75 ฿89.5

-2.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 TTD 7.13

$3.12 ฿101

-66.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 TTD 8.41

$1.00 ฿32.48

24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.98 TTD 102

$14.09 ฿458

6.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 TTD 7.79

$1.35 ฿43.93

-14.81%

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

$34.2K TTD 232.0K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

25.67%

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

$39.0K TTD 265.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

18.54%

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

$80.0 TTD 543

$125 ฿4,063

-36.02%

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

$47.03 TTD 319

$13.57 ฿441

246.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 TTD 418

$18.52 ฿602

232.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$10.01 TTD 68.0

$9.19 ฿299

8.92%

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

$321 TTD 2,181

$698 ฿22.7K

-54.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,320 TTD 49.7K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-53.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 TTD 407

$57.8 ฿1,878

3.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.68 TTD 256

$35.24 ฿1,146

6.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 TTD 973

$113 ฿3,677

26.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 TTD 857

$86.4 ฿2,808

46.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

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)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

5.33

0.94%

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

Last update for St.James: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $89.0 in St.James vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $292 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.James vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St.James is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,404 in St.James 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.

Childcare runs $321 in St.James 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 St.James – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $936 in St.James versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in St.James but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes St.James the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, St.James 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.James 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.James gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.