Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Thomas and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Thomas and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,292 in St. Thomas versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,392 in St. Thomas versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,491 in St. Thomas versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in St. Thomas is roughly 81% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St. Thomas is 72% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 CA$27.99

$4.48 ฿150

345.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 CA$104

$45.59 ฿1,521

62.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 CA$15.67

$8.76 ฿292

27.63%

Cappuccino

$3.53 CA$4.94

$2.97 ฿99.0

18.86%

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

$1.77 CA$2.48

$0.69 ฿22.90

156.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.55

$0.39 ฿13.04

366.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 CA$7.04

$2.53 ฿84.4

98.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 CA$8.05

$3.75 ฿125

53.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 CA$2.84

$2.15 ฿71.6

-5.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$1.82 ฿60.6

42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.66

$2.18 ฿72.9

52.75%

Eggs

$3.05 CA$4.27

$2.25 ฿75.0

35.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.55 CA$13.38

$20.00 ฿667

-52.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.10 CA$15.55

$3.63 ฿121

205.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.62 CA$21.89

$13.56 ฿452

15.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.86

$3.24 ฿108

29.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.64 ฿54.6

-24.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 CA$4.46

$2.33 ฿77.8

36.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.23

$2.07 ฿69.1

80.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.05

$1.55 ฿51.6

86.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 CA$3.58

$1.46 ฿48.54

74.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.40

$0.98 ฿32.86

147.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$0.48 ฿16.09

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 CA$15.52

$4.35 ฿145

154.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.45 CA$17.44

$18.57 ฿620

-32.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 CA$2.89

$1.86 ฿61.9

10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 CA$3.62

$2.65 ฿88.6

-2.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$1.42 ฿47.28

64.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 CA$87.3

$11.57 ฿386

438.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 CA$3.38

$3.17 ฿106

-23.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 CA$2.38

$1.03 ฿34.41

65.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.51 CA$44.15

$13.89 ฿463

126.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.57

$1.34 ฿44.84

-16.42%

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

$25.2K CA$35.3K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-9.38%

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

$20.7K CA$29.0K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-37.99%

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

$133 CA$186

$123 ฿4,105

8.02%

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

$53.1 CA$74.4

$13.77 ฿459

285.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.9 CA$79.8

$18.33 ฿611

210.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.13 CA$59.0

$60.7 ฿2,025

-30.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$10.89 CA$15.26

$8.87 ฿296

22.77%

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

$559 CA$784

$688 ฿22.9K

-18.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K CA$15.6K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-29.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 CA$78.2

$59.3 ฿1,978

-5.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.44 CA$53.9

$34.69 ฿1,157

10.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 CA$121

$115 ฿3,843

-24.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CA$112

$83.8 ฿2,794

-4.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 CA$1,639

$621 ฿20.7K

88.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 CA$1,622

$446 ฿14.9K

159.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 CA$2,851

$2,034 ฿67.8K

0.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 CA$2,530

$1,496 ฿49.9K

20.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,317 CA$6,049

$3,455 ฿115.3K

24.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,607 CA$5,055

$2,531 ฿84.4K

42.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,931 CA$4,108

$494 ฿16.5K

493.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.33

22.89%

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

Last update for St. Thomas: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in St. Thomas and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Thomas pays 494% 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: $74.0 in St. Thomas vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $291 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. Thomas vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 494% higher in St. Thomas, 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: $1,170 in St. Thomas versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $559 in St. Thomas versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in St. Thomas. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,292 in St. Thomas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in St. Thomas. 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. Thomas, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, St. Thomas 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 81% less than in St. Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.