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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,165 in San Felipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,880 in San Felipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,595 in San Felipe.

Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than in San Felipe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, San Felipe 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$7.28 MX$123

-37.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$47.85 MX$808

-31.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$8.96 MX$151

-0.67%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$3.62 MX$61.1

-22.65%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.43 MX$24.08

-38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$1.00 MX$16.83

-51.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.89 MX$48.84

-17.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$4.42 MX$74.7

-16.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.78 MX$30.09

0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$2.62 MX$44.24

-45.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.95 MX$32.91

-18.97%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.62 MX$44.15

-18.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$7.97 MX$135

149.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$9.14 MX$154

-62.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$12.42 MX$210

-8.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$3.00 MX$50.7

-1.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.90 MX$32.01

-9.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$2.09 MX$35.20

11.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.97 MX$33.29

5.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$2.07 MX$34.95

-28.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$1.73 MX$29.18

-21.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.55 MX$26.15

-29.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$1.28 MX$21.67

-55.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.67 MX$78.8

-8.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$12.34 MX$208

49.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$2.00 MX$33.80

-6.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$3.40 MX$57.4

-14.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.72 MX$12.22

208.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$2.68 MX$45.32

13.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$1.83 MX$30.96

-41.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$12.23 MX$206

-67.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.42 MX$24.05

4.93%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$19.8K MX$333.8K

37.16%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$27.5K MX$463.6K

-0.05%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$65.6 MX$1,107

56.73%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$25.12 MX$424

-56.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$36.24 MX$612

-51.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$42.16 MX$712

26.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$19.68 MX$332

-43.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.84 MX$98.6

28.08%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$274 MX$4,629

103.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$5,003 MX$84.4K

136.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$54.8 MX$925

16.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$47.96 MX$810

-39.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$114 MX$1,924

-15.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$103 MX$1,731

-11.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$716 MX$12.1K

2.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$423 MX$7,139

18.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,128 MX$19.0K

85.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$801 MX$13.5K

51.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,917 MX$32.4K

87.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,055 MX$17.8K

138.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.3

-50.71%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for San Felipe: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $716 in San Felipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $48.00 in San Felipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $287 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

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

San Felipe is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $1,747 in San Felipe 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $716 in San Felipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $274 in San Felipe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Felipe – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,165 in San Felipe versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Felipe but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Felipe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Felipe 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 Felipe 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 Felipe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.