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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,063 in San Felipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,694 in San Felipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,325 in San Felipe.

Living in Phuket is roughly 19% more expensive than in San Felipe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Felipe 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$7.14 MX$124

-36.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,565

$38.98 MX$678

18.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿292

$7.74 MX$135

11.76%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$3.38 MX$58.8

-8.58%

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

$0.68 ฿22.89

$1.23 MX$21.42

-44.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.44

$0.99 MX$17.17

-62.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$2.34 MX$40.66

3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿129

$3.85 MX$67.1

-1.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.5

$1.42 MX$24.71

53.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.3

$2.54 MX$44.16

-28.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.5

$1.57 MX$27.34

38.85%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.4

$2.30 MX$40.00

-2.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿673

$7.81 MX$136

155.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$7.80 MX$136

-53.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿458

$10.60 MX$184

27.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$2.59 MX$45.04

27.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.43 MX$24.96

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.8

$1.77 MX$30.87

31.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.4

$1.67 MX$29.03

21.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$1.89 MX$32.89

-15.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.5

$2.02 MX$35.14

-26.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.17

$1.19 MX$20.77

-15.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.02 MX$17.72

-52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$4.07 MX$70.8

9.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿629

$9.33 MX$162

99.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.3

$1.61 MX$27.96

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.4

$2.78 MX$48.32

0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.90

$0.64 MX$11.19

121.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$2.60 MX$45.26

18.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.19

$1.58 MX$27.51

-34.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿460

$8.05 MX$140

69.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.23

$1.27 MX$22.12

3.15%

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

$27.3K ฿920.7K

$21.0K MX$364.8K

30.14%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$22.4K MX$389.4K

48.46%

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

$123 ฿4,157

$55.7 MX$968

121.31%

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

$13.81 ฿466

$22.46 MX$391

-38.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿625

$28.47 MX$495

-34.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,037

$36.13 MX$629

67.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿567

$15.91 MX$277

5.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿300

$4.56 MX$79.4

94.96%

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

$687 ฿23.2K

$203 MX$3,538

237.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿524.8K

$3,650 MX$63.5K

325.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,945

$53.3 MX$928

8.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,170

$39.33 MX$684

-11.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,879

$88.3 MX$1,537

30.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,865

$79.7 MX$1,387

6.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$516 MX$8,978

19.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿15.0K

$393 MX$6,836

12.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.1K

$946 MX$16.5K

116.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.8K

$748 MX$13.0K

101.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.4K

$2,179 MX$37.9K

63.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.7K

$1,225 MX$21.3K

105.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for San Felipe: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $516 in San Felipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in San Felipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $245 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 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,595 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: $618 in Phuket versus $516 in San Felipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $203 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 $39.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,063 in San Felipe versus $1,261 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 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.