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: $4,331 in St Thomas versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,282 in St Thomas versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $10.2K in St Thomas versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in St Thomas is roughly 246% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: St Thomas is 215% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.14 $22.14

$4.56 ฿150

385.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$169 $169

$32.62 ฿1,073

418.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.32 $13.32

$8.90 ฿293

49.66%

Cappuccino

$5.76 $5.76

$2.80 ฿92.2

105.71%

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

$4.06 $4.06

$0.88 ฿28.94

361.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$0.49 ฿16.08

595.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.39 ฿78.5

108.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 $7.04

$3.71 ฿122

89.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.79 ฿58.8

59.78%

White Bread (500g)

$6.67 $6.67

$1.44 ฿47.40

363.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$19.07 $19.07

$1.58 ฿52.1

1106.96%

Eggs

$9.05 $9.05

$2.13 ฿69.9

324.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$19.92 ฿655

-42.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.09 $29.09

$3.43 ฿113

748.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.23 $40.23

$11.33 ฿372

255.08%

Apples (1kg)

$12.09 $12.09

$2.95 ฿97.0

309.83%

Banana (1kg)

$11.14 $11.14

$1.72 ฿56.6

547.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$12.28 $12.28

$2.32 ฿76.5

429.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$19.90 $19.90

$2.08 ฿68.4

856.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.47 ฿48.34

30.61%

Onion (1kg)

$8.92 $8.92

$1.36 ฿44.65

555.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$7.94 $7.94

$1.10 ฿36.13

621.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$5.41 $5.41

$0.57 ฿18.89

849.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$25.22 $25.22

$18.42 ฿606

36.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 $5.86

$2.92 ฿96.1

100.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.22 ฿73.0

-11.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.4 $60.4

$22.90 ฿753

163.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.90 $19.90

$3.03 ฿99.6

556.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.07 ฿35.32

199.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.49 ฿49.06

-4.03%

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

$55.4K $55.4K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

104.09%

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

$49.5K $49.5K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

80.18%

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

$456 $456

$103 ฿3,380

343.15%

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

$98.8 $98.8

$10.99 ฿361

799.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$150 $150

$17.51 ฿576

753.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$162 $162

$53.5 ฿1,760

202.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 $9.98

$7.48 ฿246

33.42%

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

$1,529 $1,529

$557 ฿18.3K

174.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K $22.1K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

86.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 $115

$64.1 ฿2,107

78.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$148 $148

$29.07 ฿956

407.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$204 $204

$96.0 ฿3,155

112.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 $150

$90.3 ฿2,970

66.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 $1,583

$730 ฿24.0K

116.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 $1,818

$500 ฿16.4K

263.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,294 $3,294

$2,090 ฿68.7K

57.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,291 $4,291

$1,209 ฿39.8K

254.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,868 $4,868

$3,596 ฿118.2K

35.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.7K $10.7K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

326.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,729 $2,729

$503 ฿16.6K

442.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

5.57

69.66%

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

Last update for St Thomas: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in St Thomas and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St Thomas pays 442% 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: $169 in St Thomas vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $967 vs $273 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, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 246% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 442% 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: $1,583 in St Thomas versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,529 in St Thomas versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 254% higher in St Thomas. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $4,331 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 246% less than in St Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.