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: $2,118 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,111 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,103 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is roughly 69% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is 59% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.30 CA$25.75

$4.55 ฿153

302.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.8 CA$102

$46.18 ฿1,553

57.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.61 CA$16.33

$8.84 ฿297

31.33%

Cappuccino

$3.30 CA$4.65

$3.06 ฿103

7.84%

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

$2.51 CA$3.53

$0.73 ฿24.40

243.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.53

$0.40 ฿13.39

350.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 CA$7.09

$2.43 ฿81.8

107.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 CA$7.29

$3.78 ฿127

37.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 CA$4.25

$2.26 ฿76.0

33.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 CA$4.39

$1.81 ฿60.9

72.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.24

$2.25 ฿75.8

97.33%

Eggs

$3.82 CA$5.37

$2.25 ฿75.5

69.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 CA$12.74

$19.51 ฿656

-53.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.95 CA$18.22

$3.65 ฿123

254.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.34 CA$15.96

$13.05 ฿439

-13.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.52 CA$7.77

$3.23 ฿109

70.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 CA$3.23

$1.62 ฿54.4

41.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.50 CA$7.74

$2.38 ฿80.1

131.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.43

$2.03 ฿68.1

55.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 CA$2.97

$1.53 ฿51.6

37.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.74

$1.50 ฿50.5

77.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.37 CA$4.74

$0.98 ฿32.91

243.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 CA$3.15

$0.52 ฿17.39

330.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.48 CA$20.37

$4.44 ฿149

226.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.08 CA$19.81

$18.32 ฿616

-23.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.29 CA$6.04

$1.86 ฿62.7

130.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 CA$6.73

$2.68 ฿90.1

78.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 CA$2.66

$1.41 ฿47.46

34.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.4 CA$79.4

$11.70 ฿393

382.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 CA$4.68

$3.11 ฿105

7.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 CA$2.47

$1.04 ฿35.06

68.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.32 CA$42.66

$14.11 ฿474

114.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CA$1.80

$1.31 ฿44.10

-2.29%

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

$24.7K CA$34.7K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-11.28%

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

$22.6K CA$31.8K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-31.93%

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

$197 CA$277

$122 ฿4,118

60.98%

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

$57.6 CA$81.1

$13.59 ฿457

323.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.0 CA$111

$18.70 ฿629

322.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.4 CA$110

$60.5 ฿2,034

29.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.11 CA$15.63

$16.98 ฿571

-34.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.78 CA$12.36

$9.07 ฿305

-3.20%

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

$491 CA$691

$706 ฿23.8K

-30.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,797 CA$12.4K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-44.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.2 CA$94.5

$58.6 ฿1,969

14.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 CA$73.3

$35.36 ฿1,189

47.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 CA$117

$115 ฿3,883

-27.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.0 CA$136

$83.7 ฿2,816

15.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,334

$626 ฿21.0K

51.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 CA$1,051

$445 ฿15.0K

67.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 CA$2,005

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-30.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 CA$1,749

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-16.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,973 CA$2,776

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-43.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,575 CA$2,217

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-38.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,734 CA$3,847

$500 ฿16.8K

446.94%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador pays 447% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $289 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 447% higher in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, 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: $948 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $491 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,118 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 69% 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.