Cost of Living Comparison Between St John and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between St John and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,105 in St John versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,790 in St John versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,476 in St John versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in St John is roughly 152% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St John is 132% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 $17.56

$4.63 ฿151

279.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$161 $161

$46.84 ฿1,523

243.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.60 $8.60

$8.84 ฿287

-2.71%

Cappuccino

$6.38 $6.38

$3.00 ฿97.4

112.67%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$0.74 ฿24.11

308.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.37 ฿11.88

454.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 $6.32

$2.44 ฿79.3

159.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.61 ฿117

97.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.26 ฿73.5

26.11%

White Bread (500g)

$5.88 $5.88

$1.84 ฿59.8

219.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.24 ฿73.0

-34.82%

Eggs

$6.22 $6.22

$2.32 ฿75.3

168.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.40 $17.40

$19.67 ฿639

-11.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.03 $26.03

$3.65 ฿119

613.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

Banana (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$1.64 ฿53.4

200.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

Tomato (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$2.03 ฿66.0

337.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

Onion (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.50 ฿48.66

192.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.92 $4.92

$1.02 ฿33.30

382.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 $5.90

$2.75 ฿89.5

114.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.84 $5.84

$1.40 ฿45.54

317.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$11.48 ฿373

1122.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.00 ฿32.48

204.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.35 ฿43.93

19.26%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-29.34%

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

$243 $243

$125 ฿4,063

94.54%

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

$13.57 ฿441

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 $61.1

$18.52 ฿602

229.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

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

$698 ฿22.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K $13.7K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-12.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.7 $98.7

$57.8 ฿1,878

70.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.0 $60.0

$35.24 ฿1,146

70.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.9 $50.9

$113 ฿3,677

-55.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.5 $50.5

$86.4 ฿2,808

-41.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,217 $2,217

$616 ฿20.0K

259.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,799 $1,799

$446 ฿14.5K

303.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,996 $2,996

$1,492 ฿48.5K

100.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K $13.2K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

248.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,039 $4,039

$524 ฿17.0K

671.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.05

5.33

32.27%

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

Last update for St John: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,217 in St John and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St John pays 671% 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: $161 in St John vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $292 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 vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 152% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

St John pays 671% 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: $2,217 in St John versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $161 in St John. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 1123% less than in St John. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,105 in St John, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in St John. 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, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, St John 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 152% less than in St John. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.