😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in St. Thomas versus $1,232 in Phuket.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,337 in St. Thomas versus $2,255 in Phuket.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,355 in St. Thomas versus $3,279 in Phuket.
😐Living in St. Thomas is roughly 88% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: St. Thomas is 73% above, Phuket is 8% below.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
St. Thomas
Phuket
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.29CA$27.80
$4.63฿151
338.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.1CA$103
$46.84฿1,523
60.25%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.52CA$15.78
$8.84฿287
30.32%
Cappuccino
$3.48CA$4.77
$3.00฿97.4
16.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82CA$2.50
$0.74฿24.11
145.95%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74CA$2.38
$0.37฿11.88
370.27%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.22CA$7.15
$2.44฿79.3
113.93%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.83CA$7.98
$3.61฿117
61.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
St. Thomas
Phuket
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$2.02CA$2.76
$2.26฿73.5
-10.62%
White Bread(500g)
$2.67CA$3.66
$1.84฿59.8
45.11%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.27CA$4.48
$2.24฿73.0
45.98%
Eggs
$3.08CA$4.22
$2.32฿75.3
32.76%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.50CA$13.01
$19.67฿639
-51.70%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$11.38CA$15.59
$3.65฿119
211.78%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$15.56CA$21.32
$13.10฿426
18.78%
Apples(1kg)
$4.01CA$5.49
$3.39฿110
18.29%
Banana(1kg)
$1.24CA$1.69
$1.64฿53.4
-24.39%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.33CA$4.56
$2.41฿78.5
38.17%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.74CA$5.12
$2.03฿66.0
84.24%
Potato(1kg)
$2.99CA$4.09
$1.56฿50.6
91.67%
Onion(1kg)
$2.52CA$3.45
$1.50฿48.66
68.00%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.30CA$3.16
$1.02฿33.30
125.49%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.48CA$2.03
$0.49฿15.91
202.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$10.85CA$14.87
$4.45฿145
143.82%
Wine(Bottle)
$13.11CA$17.96
$18.88฿614
-30.56%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.08CA$2.84
$1.78฿57.7
16.85%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48CA$3.40
$2.75฿89.5
-9.82%
🚌 Getting Around
St. Thomas
Phuket
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.40CA$3.28
$1.40฿45.54
71.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$63.5CA$87.0
$11.48฿373
452.87%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.29CA$3.14
$3.12฿101
-26.60%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.75CA$2.39
$1.00฿32.48
75.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$30.76CA$42.15
$14.09฿458
118.31%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.10CA$1.51
$1.35฿43.93
-18.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.3KCA$34.6K
$27.2K฿883.7K
-7.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.2KCA$27.6K
$32.9K฿1.1M
-38.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
St. Thomas
Phuket
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$135CA$184
$125฿4,063
7.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.1CA$74.2
$13.57฿441
298.97%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.9CA$77.9
$18.52฿602
207.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
St. Thomas
Phuket
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$41.82CA$57.3
$61.5฿1,999
-31.98%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.84฿547
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.18CA$15.31
$9.19฿299
21.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
St. Thomas
Phuket
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$559CA$766
$698฿22.7K
-19.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.0KCA$15.0K
$15.6K฿506.9K
-29.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
St. Thomas
Phuket
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.9CA$75.2
$57.8฿1,878
-4.97%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.10CA$52.2
$35.24฿1,146
8.12%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$84.5CA$116
$113฿3,677
-25.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.7CA$111
$86.4฿2,808
-6.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
St. Thomas
Phuket
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,183CA$1,621
$616฿20.0K
92.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,158CA$1,586
$446฿14.5K
159.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,032CA$2,784
$2,048฿66.6K
-0.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,846CA$2,529
$1,492฿48.5K
23.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,827CA$6,612
$3,779฿122.8K
27.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,741CA$5,124
$2,649฿86.1K
41.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
St. Thomas
Phuket
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,019CA$4,136
$524฿17.0K
476.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
6.55
5.33
22.89%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para St. Thomas: April 27, 2026
Última actualización para Phuket: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,183 in St. Thomas and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰St. Thomas pays 476% 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: $75.0 in St. Thomas vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $292 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
St. Thomas vs Phuket: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Is Phuket cheaper than St. Thomas?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: St. Thomas or Phuket?
St. Thomas pays 476% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between St. Thomas and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,183 in St. Thomas versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $559 in St. Thomas versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in St. Thomas and Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in St. Thomas. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for St. Thomas or Phuket?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,320 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.
Is St. Thomas or Phuket more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, St. Thomas or Phuket?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in St. Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
St. Thomas vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado