Cost of Living Comparison Between St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,071 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,131 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,191 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is roughly 64% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is 55% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.72 CA$25.91

$4.70 ฿153

298.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 CA$102

$45.37 ฿1,482

61.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 CA$16.14

$8.43 ฿275

38.32%

Cappuccino

$3.32 CA$4.60

$2.93 ฿95.6

13.31%

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

$2.48 CA$3.44

$0.69 ฿22.40

259.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$0.37 ฿11.99

386.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 CA$6.95

$2.41 ฿78.6

108.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CA$7.22

$3.72 ฿122

40.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 CA$4.07

$2.23 ฿72.9

31.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 CA$4.55

$1.83 ฿59.8

79.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 CA$6.23

$2.17 ฿70.8

107.37%

Eggs

$3.89 CA$5.39

$2.21 ฿72.3

76.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 CA$12.11

$19.74 ฿645

-55.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.85 CA$17.79

$3.63 ฿119

253.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 CA$15.50

$13.53 ฿442

-17.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.54 CA$7.67

$3.28 ฿107

68.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 CA$3.06

$1.61 ฿52.6

37.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.33 CA$7.37

$2.41 ฿78.6

121.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.19

$2.08 ฿68.1

45.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.05

$1.53 ฿49.93

43.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.68

$1.48 ฿48.36

79.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.36 CA$4.66

$0.99 ฿32.29

239.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.12

$0.51 ฿16.67

341.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.71 CA$20.36

$4.41 ฿144

233.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 CA$19.77

$19.38 ฿633

-26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 CA$5.81

$1.78 ฿58.1

135.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CA$6.51

$2.71 ฿88.6

73.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$1.37 ฿44.79

31.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.6 CA$79.7

$11.39 ฿372

405.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.54

$3.02 ฿98.6

8.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 CA$2.38

$0.99 ฿32.48

73.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.11 CA$41.70

$14.10 ฿461

113.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.73

$1.36 ฿44.51

-8.09%

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

$24.9K CA$34.5K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-11.62%

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

$22.0K CA$30.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-33.12%

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

$198 CA$275

$122 ฿3,975

62.99%

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

$58.2 CA$80.6

$13.57 ฿443

329.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.9 CA$108

$18.31 ฿598

325.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.7 CA$108

$60.2 ฿1,967

28.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 CA$15.03

$17.14 ฿560

-36.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.93 CA$12.37

$8.69 ฿284

2.76%

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

$505 CA$699

$693 ฿22.6K

-27.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,949 CA$12.4K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-42.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 CA$95.0

$59.5 ฿1,944

15.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 CA$71.9

$34.77 ฿1,136

49.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 CA$119

$115 ฿3,743

-25.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 CA$134

$83.3 ฿2,720

16.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 CA$1,312

$613 ฿20.0K

54.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 CA$1,040

$437 ฿14.3K

71.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 CA$1,993

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-31.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 CA$1,787

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-14.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,051 CA$2,840

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-45.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,613 CA$2,234

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-38.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,870 CA$3,974

$508 ฿16.6K

464.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

5.33

27.02%

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

Last update for St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador pays 465% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $73.0 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 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. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador pays 465% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $505 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,071 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.