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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,079 in San Felipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,727 in San Felipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,374 in San Felipe.

Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than San Felipe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, San Felipe 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$7.12 MX$123

-34.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$39.54 MX$685

17.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$7.71 MX$134

12.58%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$3.24 MX$56.1

-8.95%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.24 MX$21.48

-43.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.97 MX$16.84

-59.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.43 MX$42.18

4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.82 MX$66.2

-1.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.49 MX$25.82

48.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$2.61 MX$45.24

-31.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.62 MX$28.09

35.19%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.42 MX$41.86

-4.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$8.12 MX$141

138.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$7.96 MX$138

-52.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$10.71 MX$186

23.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.59 MX$44.92

28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.45 MX$25.17

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.73 MX$29.92

32.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.63 MX$28.28

22.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.90 MX$32.99

-19.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$2.00 MX$34.73

-24.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.26 MX$21.79

-18.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$1.01 MX$17.51

-49.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$4.27 MX$74.0

3.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$12.60 MX$218

54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.62 MX$28.06

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.76 MX$47.90

-2.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.65 MX$11.35

120.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$2.55 MX$44.14

19.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$1.56 MX$27.00

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$8.50 MX$147

60.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.26 MX$21.79

3.17%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$21.2K MX$366.9K

31.77%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$22.6K MX$390.9K

46.47%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$56.4 MX$977

118.11%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$22.12 MX$383

-37.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$27.87 MX$483

-32.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$35.27 MX$611

73.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$16.09 MX$279

4.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$4.55 MX$78.9

94.95%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$208 MX$3,598

235.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$3,597 MX$62.3K

346.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$52.3 MX$905

13.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$40.16 MX$696

-13.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$91.4 MX$1,584

23.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$79.6 MX$1,380

6.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$514 MX$8,916

19.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$392 MX$6,800

14.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$915 MX$15.9K

127.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$750 MX$13.0K

99.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$2,145 MX$37.2K

74.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,190 MX$20.6K

123.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.48

-53.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for San Felipe: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $514 in San Felipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $40 in San Felipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $256 per month, with San Felipe 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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $1,619 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: $615 in Phuket versus $514 in San Felipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $208 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 $40.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,079 in San Felipe versus $1,270 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 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.