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: $3,289 in St Lawrence versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,339 in St Lawrence versus $2,078 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,388 in St Lawrence versus $2,896 in Phuket.

Living in St Lawrence is roughly 161% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St Lawrence is 140% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$40.61 JEP 29.89

$4.43 ฿145

816.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 JEP 89.7

$35.07 ฿1,151

247.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 JEP 8.10

$8.96 ฿294

22.88%

Cappuccino

$4.88 JEP 3.59

$3.00 ฿98.4

62.67%

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

$3.46 JEP 2.55

$0.77 ฿25.33

349.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 JEP 1.84

$0.47 ฿15.44

431.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 JEP 6.11

$2.40 ฿78.6

246.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 JEP 4.71

$3.75 ฿123

70.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 JEP 1.70

$1.82 ฿59.8

26.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 JEP 2.12

$1.42 ฿46.65

102.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 JEP 1.90

$1.55 ฿50.8

66.45%

Eggs

$5.73 JEP 4.22

$2.13 ฿69.9

169.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.45 JEP 5.48

$19.76 ฿648

-62.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.96 JEP 8.80

$3.48 ฿114

243.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.52 JEP 13.63

$11.09 ฿364

67.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 JEP 3.08

$2.91 ฿95.5

43.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.46 JEP 2.55

$1.66 ฿54.6

108.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 JEP 3.10

$2.27 ฿74.5

85.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 JEP 3.45

$2.10 ฿68.8

122.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 JEP 2.48

$1.47 ฿48.24

128.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 JEP 2.32

$1.41 ฿46.29

124.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 JEP 1.37

$1.09 ฿35.78

70.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 JEP 1.90

$0.54 ฿17.58

379.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.09 JEP 14.78

$4.48 ฿147

348.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 JEP 8.03

$18.72 ฿614

-41.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.68 JEP 3.44

$1.84 ฿60.4

154.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 JEP 5.86

$2.95 ฿96.7

169.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 JEP 3.89

$3.04 ฿99.9

73.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 JEP 1.84

$1.09 ฿35.82

129.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.3 JEP 39.21

$3.82 ฿125

1294.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 JEP 1.55

$1.49 ฿48.79

41.61%

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

$26.8K JEP 19.7K

$27.4K ฿900.3K

-2.45%

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

$37.9K JEP 27.9K

$27.5K ฿902.7K

37.63%

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

$323 JEP 238

$102 ฿3,340

216.95%

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

$34.56 JEP 25.44

$11.28 ฿370

206.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.6 JEP 55.6

$17.75 ฿582

325.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.3 JEP 70.2

$54.2 ฿1,777

75.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

Cinema Ticket

$20.65 JEP 15.20

$7.85 ฿258

163.06%

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

$850 JEP 626

$577 ฿18.9K

47.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K JEP 8,951

$11.6K ฿381.6K

4.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 JEP 77.8

$65.4 ฿2,144

61.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.2 JEP 53.9

$28.89 ฿948

153.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 JEP 89.8

$99.1 ฿3,250

23.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$209 JEP 154

$90.3 ฿2,961

132.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 JEP 1,318

$756 ฿24.8K

136.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,466 JEP 1,079

$487 ฿16.0K

200.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,117 JEP 3,030

$2,085 ฿68.4K

97.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,358 JEP 2,472

$1,207 ฿39.6K

178.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.57

-26.75%

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

Last update for St Lawrence: August 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,791 in St Lawrence and $756 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $122 in St Lawrence vs $35.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $272 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 Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 161% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,934 in St Lawrence and $1,891 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: $1,791 in St Lawrence versus $756 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $850 in St Lawrence versus $577 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $122 in St Lawrence. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $3,289 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 161% less than in St Lawrence. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.