Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St John and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $322 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$322

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in St John 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 and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $322 in St John versus $1,278 in Phuket.

St John $322
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $927 in St John versus $2,216 in Phuket.

St John $927
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,531 in St John versus $3,154 in Phuket.

St John $1,531
Phuket $3,154

Living in St John costs roughly 75% less than in Phuket.

Both cities sit below the global median: St John 76% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.06 $20.06

$4.47 ฿151

348.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$174 $174

$32.41 ฿1,092

438.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

Cappuccino

$7.14 $7.14

$2.83 ฿95.3

152.30%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$0.87 ฿29.37

237.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.49 ฿16.64

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.56 ฿86.2

214.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.09 $8.09

$3.68 ฿124

119.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.47 ฿49.70

10.20%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K $13.3K

$11.3K ฿379.6K

18.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.8K $12.8K

$4,175 ฿140.7K

207.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,075 $5,075

$502 ฿16.9K

910.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.05

5.57

26.57%

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

Last update for St John: 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

–

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Groceries & Markets

St John

–

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St John

–

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Clothing & Footwear

St John

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Eating Out

St John

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sport & Entertainment

St John

–

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Getting Around

St John

–

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

St John pays about 10 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $174 in St John vs $32 in Phuket for two.

Good to know

🇻🇮 St John

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:35 10:35 PM

09:35 9:35 AM

11 h ahead of St John

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,743

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

St John Phuket 16,560 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

St John
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 vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $322 in St John and $1,278 in Phuket, so St John is about 75% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in St John is about 10 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $174 in St John. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $322 per month in St John versus $1,278 in Phuket – St John is about 75% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $322 in St John versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in St John but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes St John the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, St John and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.