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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,196 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,963 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,729 in San Fernando.

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than in San Fernando, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, San Fernando 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$11.43 MX$196

-61.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$49.51 MX$850

-34.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$9.04 MX$155

-1.22%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$3.39 MX$58.2

-14.45%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.30 MX$22.32

-32.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$1.26 MX$21.63

-61.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$2.98 MX$51.2

-21.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.25 MX$73.0

-12.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.97 MX$33.84

-5.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$2.65 MX$45.52

-44.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.56 MX$26.75

-0.64%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.31 MX$39.68

-9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$9.66 MX$166

102.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.82 MX$169

-65.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$11.12 MX$191

2.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$2.67 MX$45.76

11.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.86 MX$31.93

-9.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.74 MX$29.93

27.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$1.92 MX$32.91

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.18 MX$37.42

-30.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$1.93 MX$33.13

-30.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.41 MX$24.15

-19.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$1.34 MX$22.94

-58.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.04 MX$69.3

5.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$12.06 MX$207

58.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.21 MX$37.86

-19.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$3.02 MX$51.9

-7.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.65 MX$11.20

243.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.66 MX$45.74

13.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$2.03 MX$34.87

-49.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$10.05 MX$172

-61.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.63 MX$27.94

-8.59%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$20.5K MX$351.1K

29.97%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$27.1K MX$465.0K

-0.23%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$58.2 MX$999

76.13%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$26.10 MX$448

-56.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$32.19 MX$553

-45.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$31.21 MX$536

66.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$18.84 MX$323

-41.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$6.10 MX$105

26.07%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$254 MX$4,358

120.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$5,283 MX$90.7K

117.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$55.4 MX$951

13.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$39.08 MX$671

-24.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$121 MX$2,070

-18.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$104 MX$1,791

-15.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$569 MX$9,766

29.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$456 MX$7,832

5.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$1,150 MX$19.7K

83.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$812 MX$13.9K

50.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$1,798 MX$30.9K

101.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,364 MX$23.4K

90.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $569 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $50.0 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 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 Fernando: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Fernando is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,794 in San Fernando 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: $738 in Phuket versus $569 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $254 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Fernando – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,196 in San Fernando versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Fernando but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Fernando the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Fernando 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 Fernando 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 Fernando gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.