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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,089 in San Felipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,739 in San Felipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,390 in San Felipe.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than San Felipe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Felipe 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$7.07 MX$123

-33.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,489

$39.72 MX$694

14.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿277

$7.94 MX$139

6.17%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.1

$3.23 MX$56.5

-9.29%

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

$0.69 ฿22.50

$1.24 MX$21.73

-44.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.98 MX$17.04

-62.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.32 MX$40.55

3.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.96 MX$69.1

-6.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.3

$1.50 MX$26.14

48.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$2.58 MX$45.14

-29.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$1.57 MX$27.43

38.22%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$2.29 MX$40.07

-3.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿648

$8.16 MX$143

141.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.89 MX$138

-53.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$10.63 MX$186

27.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿108

$2.68 MX$46.80

22.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.9

$1.40 MX$24.42

15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.79 MX$31.27

34.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.61 MX$28.09

29.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$1.85 MX$32.33

-17.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.58

$2.01 MX$35.17

-26.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.44

$1.26 MX$22.02

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.74

$1.03 MX$17.99

-50.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿145

$4.22 MX$73.7

4.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$11.63 MX$203

66.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.4

$1.60 MX$27.93

11.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿89.0

$2.86 MX$49.87

-5.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.99

$0.65 MX$11.42

110.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.1

$2.64 MX$46.16

14.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.63

$1.54 MX$26.83

-35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿463

$8.24 MX$144

71.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.71

$1.28 MX$22.33

6.25%

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

$28.2K ฿925.3K

$21.2K MX$370.3K

33.01%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.5K MX$392.5K

46.41%

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

$122 ฿3,993

$56.6 MX$989

114.98%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$21.87 MX$382

-37.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿601

$28.67 MX$501

-36.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,976

$36.07 MX$630

66.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$15.61 MX$273

9.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$4.66 MX$81.3

86.48%

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

$693 ฿22.8K

$207 MX$3,611

235.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.7K

$3,628 MX$63.4K

332.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,953

$53.1 MX$928

12.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,141

$40.10 MX$700

-13.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,760

$90.2 MX$1,574

27.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,733

$79.9 MX$1,395

4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$503 MX$8,785

21.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$392 MX$6,847

11.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$937 MX$16.4K

123.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$752 MX$13.1K

100.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿123.0K

$2,019 MX$35.3K

85.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$1,261 MX$22.0K

107.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for San Felipe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $503 in San Felipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in San Felipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $253 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 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,633 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: $613 in Phuket versus $503 in San Felipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $207 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 $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,089 in San Felipe versus $1,265 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 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.