Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Antonio Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Antonio

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $408 in San Antonio.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $695 in San Antonio.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $983 in San Antonio.

Living in Phuket is roughly 210% more expensive than San Antonio, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Antonio 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.45 ₲27.1K

5.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$26.63 ₲162.3K

70.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.69 ₲28.6K

79.74%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.90 ₲11.6K

54.21%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.90 ₲5,482

-23.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.50 ₲3,071

-26.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.46 ₲8,902

65.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.89 ₲11.5K

96.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.84 ₲5,145

165.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.00 ₲6,105

83.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.90 ₲5,504

141.11%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.64 ₲9,996

34.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.69 ₲40.8K

195.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.24 ₲19.8K

12.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.55 ₲39.9K

106.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.94 ₲11.8K

69.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.72 ₲4,360

123.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.95 ₲5,790

153.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.63 ₲9,907

27.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.07 ₲6,543

42.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.09 ₲6,630

35.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.55 ₲3,338

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.56 ₲3,429

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.34 ₲8,174

229.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.19 ₲49.9K

136.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.76 ₲4,636

134.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.45 ₲8,809

86.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.61 ₲3,702

395.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.74 ₲4,535

33.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$8.86 ₲54.0K

59.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.88 ₲5,366

54.55%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$14.5K ₲88.3M

94.58%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.1K ₲146.6M

36.76%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$42.90 ₲261.4K

183.68%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.74 ₲83.8K

-1.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$14.98 ₲91.3K

22.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.97 ₲30.3K

74.85%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$161 ₲983.5K

329.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$3,239 ₲19.7M

384.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$48.94 ₲298.3K

21.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$30.93 ₲188.5K

12.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$71.0 ₲432.8K

61.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$52.7 ₲321.4K

57.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.17

-47.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for San Antonio: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in San Antonio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $148 per month, with San Antonio 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

Phuket vs San Antonio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Antonio is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 210% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $611 in San Antonio 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.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $161 in San Antonio. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Antonio – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $408 in San Antonio versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Antonio but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Antonio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Antonio is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and San Antonio 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 San Antonio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 210% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.