Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,128 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Phuket, Thailand
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,128
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,128 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $2,128
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,149 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $3,149
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,170 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $4,170
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador is roughly 67% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador is 56% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.60 CA$24.62
$4.47 ฿151
293.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.0 CA$101
$32.41 ฿1,092
122.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.73 CA$16.41
$8.81 ฿297
33.14%
Cappuccino
$4.03 CA$5.64
$2.83 ฿95.3
42.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 CA$3.62
$0.87 ฿29.37
197.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 CA$3.08
$0.49 ฿16.64
348.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.87 CA$6.82
$2.56 ฿86.2
90.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.43 CA$7.59
$3.68 ฿124
47.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.77 CA$3.88
$1.66 ฿55.9
66.87%
White Bread (500g)
$3.07 CA$4.30
$1.46 ฿49.25
110.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.28 CA$5.99
$1.50 ฿50.4
185.33%
Eggs
$3.87 CA$5.42
$2.09 ฿70.4
85.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.53 CA$16.13
$19.07 ฿642
-39.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.32 CA$18.63
$3.30 ฿111
303.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.81 CA$16.53
$10.91 ฿368
8.25%
Apples (1kg)
$4.85 CA$6.78
$2.93 ฿98.7
65.53%
Banana (1kg)
$3.09 CA$4.33
$1.69 ฿56.9
82.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 CA$6.71
$2.25 ฿75.7
113.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.08 CA$4.30
$2.08 ฿70.0
48.08%
Potato (1kg)
$2.65 CA$3.70
$1.51 ฿50.9
75.50%
Onion (1kg)
$2.31 CA$3.23
$1.38 ฿46.47
67.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.86 CA$4.00
$1.07 ฿35.91
167.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.02 CA$2.82
$0.52 ฿17.49
288.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.80 CA$19.30
$4.20 ฿142
228.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 CA$22.52
$18.79 ฿633
-14.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.19 CA$5.87
$1.82 ฿61.4
130.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.33 CA$6.06
$2.84 ฿95.7
52.46%
🚌 Getting Around
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.83 CA$2.56
$1.45 ฿48.93
26.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.7 CA$77.9
$56.7 ฿1,909
-1.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.22 CA$4.51
$3.02 ฿102
6.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.75 CA$2.45
$1.02 ฿34.29
71.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.39 CA$39.71
$3.69 ฿124
669.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 CA$1.94
$1.47 ฿49.70
-5.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6K CA$40.1K
$26.8K ฿902.4K
6.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K CA$33.4K
$26.7K ฿899.5K
-10.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$182 CA$255
$96.4 ฿3,247
89.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.72 CA$58.4
$11.26 ฿380
270.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$76.6 CA$107
$16.85 ฿568
354.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.1 CA$95.3
$67.2 ฿2,266
1.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.14 CA$26.77
$10.73 ฿361
78.38%
Cinema Ticket
$10.63 CA$14.87
$7.50 ฿253
41.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$535 CA$748
$476 ฿16.0K
12.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,862 CA$13.8K
$11.3K ฿379.6K
-12.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.9 CA$93.6
$62.4 ฿2,102
7.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.5 CA$72.0
$28.41 ฿957
81.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.7 CA$114
$94.3 ฿3,178
-13.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.2 CA$135
$85.8 ฿2,892
12.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,041 CA$1,457
$716 ฿24.1K
45.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$836 CA$1,169
$491 ฿16.5K
70.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,540 CA$2,153
$1,927 ฿64.9K
-20.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,322 CA$1,849
$1,431 ฿48.2K
-7.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,435 CA$3,405
$4,175 ฿140.7K
-41.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,776 CA$2,484
$3,045 ฿102.6K
-41.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,823 CA$3,949
$502 ฿16.9K
462.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.57
5.57
-17.95%

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

Last update for St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
$836
Phuket
$491 41.3% $345
Groceries & Markets
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
$415
Phuket
$266 35.9% $149
Monthly Utilities & Internet
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
$300
Phuket
$124 58.6% $176
Eating Out
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
$279
Phuket
$122 56.3% $157
Clothing & Footwear
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
$133
Phuket
$122 8.6% $11
Sport & Entertainment
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
$89
Phuket
$82 8% $7.2
Getting Around
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
$75
Phuket
$71 5.9% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,041 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador pays about 5.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $72 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
22:35 10:35 PM
08:05 8:05 AM
9 h 30 min ahead of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
110,525
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.642 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Phuket 13,230 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Is Phuket cheaper than St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador?
Phuket is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador or Phuket?
Average pay in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador is about 5.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,041 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $535 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $476 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. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador or in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $72 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador or in Phuket?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,128 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.
Is it better to live in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador or in Phuket?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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