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: $3,422 in St Lawrence versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,012 in St Lawrence versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,603 in St Lawrence versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in St Lawrence is roughly 171% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St Lawrence is 155% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.45 JEP 15.26

$4.56 ฿149

348.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 JEP 50.2

$46.63 ฿1,519

44.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 JEP 8.07

$8.47 ฿276

27.74%

Cappuccino

$4.15 JEP 3.09

$3.03 ฿98.6

36.96%

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

$1.32 JEP 0.99

$0.69 ฿22.45

91.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 JEP 1.00

$0.37 ฿11.92

262.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 JEP 3.08

$2.49 ฿81.0

65.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 JEP 4.93

$3.66 ฿119

80.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 JEP 1.32

$2.18 ฿71.0

-19.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 JEP 1.49

$1.90 ฿62.0

5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 JEP 1.56

$2.20 ฿71.6

-5.00%

Eggs

$5.41 JEP 4.04

$2.22 ฿72.4

143.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.04 JEP 3.01

$19.99 ฿651

-79.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 JEP 8.68

$3.66 ฿119

217.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.99 JEP 5.22

$13.25 ฿432

-47.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 JEP 3.03

$3.23 ฿105

25.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 JEP 1.54

$1.70 ฿55.3

21.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 JEP 2.51

$2.39 ฿78.0

41.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 JEP 3.09

$2.08 ฿67.7

99.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.94 JEP 2.94

$1.59 ฿51.8

147.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 JEP 2.08

$1.48 ฿48.31

88.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 JEP 1.49

$1.03 ฿33.54

94.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 JEP 1.19

$0.52 ฿16.83

205.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 JEP 8.71

$4.25 ฿138

174.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 JEP 7.89

$18.79 ฿612

-43.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.01 JEP 2.99

$1.76 ฿57.2

127.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 JEP 5.08

$2.76 ฿89.8

146.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 JEP 2.49

$1.36 ฿44.32

144.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.8 JEP 53.5

$11.36 ฿370

531.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 JEP 4.45

$3.14 ฿102

90.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.99 JEP 2.98

$1.04 ฿33.74

283.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 JEP 2.00

$13.77 ฿448

-80.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 JEP 1.56

$1.34 ฿43.79

56.72%

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

$22.3K JEP 16.7K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-19.35%

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

$34.3K JEP 25.6K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

1.23%

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

$138 JEP 103

$124 ฿4,025

11.86%

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

$25.45 JEP 18.98

$13.52 ฿440

88.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 JEP 51.0

$18.69 ฿609

265.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.7 JEP 64.6

$61.8 ฿2,013

40.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.53 JEP 15.31

$17.25 ฿562

19.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.91 JEP 11.12

$9.14 ฿298

63.13%

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

$2,018 JEP 1,505

$703 ฿22.9K

187.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K JEP 12.6K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

6.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 JEP 70.6

$59.5 ฿1,937

59.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 JEP 35.50

$35.07 ฿1,142

35.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 JEP 93.3

$115 ฿3,754

8.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 JEP 101

$84.1 ฿2,737

61.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,931 JEP 1,441

$619 ฿20.1K

212.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 JEP 1,555

$433 ฿14.1K

381.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,453 JEP 2,576

$2,062 ฿67.2K

67.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,770 JEP 2,813

$1,511 ฿49.2K

149.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,931 in St Lawrence and $619 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 $325 vs $293 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 171% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,133 in St Lawrence and $1,892 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: $1,931 in St Lawrence versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,018 in St Lawrence versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in St Lawrence. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $3,422 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 171% less than in St Lawrence. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.