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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,296 in St Lawrence versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,960 in St Lawrence versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,625 in St Lawrence versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in St Lawrence is roughly 168% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St Lawrence is 146% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 JEP 15.04

$4.63 ฿151

339.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.6 JEP 49.29

$46.84 ฿1,523

42.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 JEP 8.02

$8.84 ฿287

22.51%

Cappuccino

$4.04 JEP 2.99

$3.00 ฿97.4

34.67%

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

$1.39 JEP 1.03

$0.74 ฿24.11

87.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 JEP 1.03

$0.37 ฿11.88

275.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.03 JEP 2.98

$2.44 ฿79.3

65.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 JEP 5.12

$3.61 ฿117

91.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 JEP 1.32

$2.26 ฿73.5

-21.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 JEP 1.49

$1.84 ฿59.8

9.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 JEP 1.50

$2.24 ฿73.0

-9.38%

Eggs

$5.33 JEP 3.94

$2.32 ฿75.3

129.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.03 JEP 2.98

$19.67 ฿639

-79.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.65 JEP 8.62

$3.65 ฿119

219.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.89 JEP 5.10

$13.10 ฿426

-47.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 JEP 3.06

$3.39 ฿110

21.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 JEP 1.54

$1.64 ฿53.4

27.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 JEP 2.58

$2.41 ฿78.5

44.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 JEP 3.09

$2.03 ฿66.0

105.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 JEP 2.89

$1.56 ฿50.6

150.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 JEP 2.00

$1.50 ฿48.66

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 JEP 1.47

$1.02 ฿33.30

95.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 JEP 1.22

$0.49 ฿15.91

236.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.34 JEP 8.39

$4.45 ฿145

154.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.02 JEP 8.15

$18.88 ฿614

-41.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.18 JEP 3.09

$1.78 ฿57.7

134.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 JEP 4.92

$2.75 ฿89.5

141.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 JEP 2.55

$1.40 ฿45.54

146.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.3 JEP 52.0

$11.48 ฿373

512.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 JEP 4.46

$3.12 ฿101

93.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.85 JEP 2.85

$1.00 ฿32.48

285.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 JEP 2.03

$14.09 ฿458

-80.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 JEP 1.55

$1.35 ฿43.93

54.81%

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

$22.4K JEP 16.6K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-17.49%

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

$33.5K JEP 24.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

1.70%

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

$136 JEP 101

$125 ฿4,063

8.75%

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

$25.07 JEP 18.55

$13.57 ฿441

84.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.8 JEP 49.43

$18.52 ฿602

260.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.6 JEP 65.5

$61.5 ฿1,999

44.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.42 JEP 15.11

$16.84 ฿547

21.26%

Cinema Ticket

$14.40 JEP 10.66

$9.19 ฿299

56.69%

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

$2,011 JEP 1,488

$698 ฿22.7K

187.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K JEP 12.9K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

11.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 JEP 70.4

$57.8 ฿1,878

64.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.11 JEP 35.60

$35.24 ฿1,146

36.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 JEP 92.9

$113 ฿3,677

10.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 JEP 99.9

$86.4 ฿2,808

56.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,919 JEP 1,420

$616 ฿20.0K

211.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,104 JEP 1,557

$446 ฿14.5K

371.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,434 JEP 2,541

$2,048 ฿66.6K

67.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,739 JEP 2,767

$1,492 ฿48.5K

150.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.75

5.33

-48.41%

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

Last update for St Lawrence: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,919 in St Lawrence and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in St Lawrence vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 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 Lawrence vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 168% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,943 in St Lawrence and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,919 in St Lawrence versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,011 in St Lawrence versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in St Lawrence. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,296 in St Lawrence, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in St Lawrence. 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 Lawrence, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, St Lawrence 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 168% less than in St Lawrence. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.