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: $925 in St.James versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in St.James versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,247 in St.James versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in St.James costs roughly 25% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: St.James 32% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.49 TTD 70.6

$4.41 ฿147

137.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 TTD 589

$32.26 ฿1,077

171.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 TTD 61.0

$8.93 ฿298

1.57%

Cappuccino

$3.69 TTD 24.83

$2.90 ฿96.6

27.24%

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

$1.00 TTD 6.75

$0.88 ฿29.38

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 TTD 5.11

$0.48 ฿16.06

58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 TTD 15.27

$2.35 ฿78.5

-3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 TTD 24.21

$3.72 ฿124

-3.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 TTD 16.90

$1.87 ฿62.3

34.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 TTD 16.67

$1.47 ฿48.94

68.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 TTD 19.17

$1.55 ฿51.8

83.87%

Eggs

$4.30 TTD 28.92

$2.10 ฿70.1

104.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.50 TTD 43.73

$19.59 ฿654

-66.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 TTD 67.1

$3.42 ฿114

191.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.64 TTD 78.3

$11.38 ฿380

2.28%

Apples (1kg)

$5.60 TTD 37.69

$2.98 ฿99.6

87.92%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 TTD 20.99

$1.68 ฿56.2

85.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 TTD 25.01

$2.21 ฿73.7

68.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 TTD 28.04

$2.16 ฿72.1

93.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 TTD 14.88

$1.52 ฿50.9

45.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 TTD 13.00

$1.34 ฿44.67

44.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 TTD 12.37

$1.13 ฿37.67

62.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 TTD 9.01

$0.55 ฿18.24

143.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 TTD 40.50

$4.26 ฿142

41.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.94 TTD 127

$19.09 ฿637

-0.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 TTD 14.88

$1.78 ฿59.4

24.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 TTD 20.10

$2.78 ฿92.9

7.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 TTD 7.07

$3.03 ฿101

-65.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 TTD 8.34

$1.02 ฿34.15

21.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.61 TTD 98.3

$3.89 ฿130

275.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 TTD 7.85

$1.49 ฿49.77

-21.48%

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

$37.5K TTD 252.2K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

40.99%

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

$40.4K TTD 271.7K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

49.42%

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

$91.7 TTD 617

$102 ฿3,420

-10.49%

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

$52.6 TTD 354

$11.33 ฿378

364.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 TTD 377

$17.40 ฿581

222.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$8.90 TTD 59.9

$7.69 ฿257

15.73%

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

$404 TTD 2,716

$561 ฿18.7K

-28.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K TTD 72.7K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-6.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 TTD 365

$63.0 ฿2,104

-13.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 TTD 350

$29.52 ฿986

76.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 TTD 985

$98.0 ฿3,272

49.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 TTD 691

$88.5 ฿2,954

16.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

5.57

3.23%

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

Last update for St.James: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $88.0 in St.James vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $274 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 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,387 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 $404 in St.James 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.James – a meal for two runs $88.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $925 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.