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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $418 in San Antonio.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $694 in San Antonio.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $970 in San Antonio.

Living in Phuket is roughly 199% more expensive than in San Antonio, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Antonio 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.51 ₲27.2K

0.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$26.15 ₲157.7K

76.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.55 ₲27.4K

94.29%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.96 ₲11.8K

56.12%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.89 ₲5,393

-17.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.47 ₲2,834

-14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.48 ₲8,898

64.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.85 ₲11.2K

104.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.91 ₲5,494

148.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.99 ₲5,999

82.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.98 ₲5,924

129.59%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.60 ₲9,646

40.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.82 ₲41.2K

186.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.23 ₲19.5K

13.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.47 ₲39.0K

101.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.03 ₲12.3K

59.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.77 ₲4,668

110.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.94 ₲5,682

153.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.65 ₲9,960

23.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.11 ₲6,674

37.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.14 ₲6,862

31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.60 ₲3,602

63.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.53 ₲3,168

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.36 ₲8,177

226.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.41 ₲50.7K

117.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.72 ₲4,314

158.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.38 ₲8,301

94.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.60 ₲3,614

418.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.73 ₲4,384

42.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$8.99 ₲54.2K

56.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.89 ₲5,359

47.19%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$14.4K ₲87.1M

92.50%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$23.9K ₲144.4M

38.77%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$41.59 ₲250.8K

194.40%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$13.57 ₲81.8K

0.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$15.15 ₲91.4K

23.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.18 ₲31.2K

75.10%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$165 ₲995.2K

328.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$3,267 ₲19.7M

383.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$48.43 ₲292.1K

20.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$30.90 ₲186.3K

14.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$71.1 ₲428.8K

62.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$51.9 ₲312.7K

61.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for San Antonio: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in San Antonio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $150 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 199% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $627 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 $706 in Phuket versus $165 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 $26.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $418 in San Antonio versus $1,250 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 199% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.