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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,117 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,770 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,423 in San Fernando.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than in San Fernando, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, San Fernando 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$10.42 MX$180

-57.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$39.35 MX$681

15.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$8.02 MX$139

9.23%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.36 MX$58.1

-11.61%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.24 MX$21.50

-44.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.91 MX$15.68

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.34 MX$40.51

8.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.97 MX$68.7

-5.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.42 MX$24.51

51.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.64 MX$45.75

-31.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.62 MX$28.03

34.57%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.34 MX$40.41

-3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.86 MX$136

154.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.68 MX$133

-52.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.41 MX$180

30.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.65 MX$45.90

22.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.38 MX$23.87

18.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.78 MX$30.81

30.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.66 MX$28.65

24.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.90 MX$32.89

-18.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.91 MX$33.08

-23.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.21 MX$20.91

-19.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.02 MX$17.58

-52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.12 MX$71.2

5.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$10.56 MX$183

75.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.62 MX$28.11

14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.82 MX$48.82

-6.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.61 MX$10.50

132.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.56 MX$44.34

23.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.54 MX$26.70

-33.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$8.33 MX$144

66.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.26 MX$21.82

6.35%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$21.3K MX$368.5K

30.49%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$22.5K MX$388.5K

48.64%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$55.6 MX$961

121.47%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$21.92 MX$379

-37.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$27.61 MX$478

-33.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$35.59 MX$616

70.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$15.85 MX$274

8.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.61 MX$79.8

92.41%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$204 MX$3,538

236.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,583 MX$62.0K

340.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$53.6 MX$928

10.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$39.64 MX$686

-12.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$89.7 MX$1,552

28.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$79.2 MX$1,369

5.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$514 MX$8,891

20.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$393 MX$6,793

13.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$934 MX$16.2K

117.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$761 MX$13.2K

96.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,076 MX$35.9K

66.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,310 MX$22.7K

93.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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 27, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $514 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $248 per month, with San Fernando 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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,675 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: $621 in Phuket versus $514 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $204 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 $39.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,117 in San Fernando versus $1,264 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 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.