Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Fernando, Mexico

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando: $1,140 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando
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San Fernando Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

San Fernando

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,140

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in San Fernando

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in San Fernando actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,140 in San Fernando.

Phuket $1,278
San Fernando $1,140

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,826 in San Fernando.

Phuket $2,216
San Fernando $1,826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,511 in San Fernando.

Phuket $3,154
San Fernando $2,511

Living in Phuket is roughly 12% more expensive than in San Fernando, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Fernando 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$9.16 MX$172

-51.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$37.49 MX$703

-13.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.41 MX$158

4.76%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.99 MX$74.7

-29.07%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$1.32 MX$24.71

-34.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.00 MX$18.75

-51.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.24 MX$42.02

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.74 MX$70.1

-1.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.73 MX$32.36

-4.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$2.23 MX$41.78

-34.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.90 MX$35.52

-21.05%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.56 MX$47.91

-18.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$6.94 MX$130

174.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.85 MX$147

-57.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.96 MX$224

-8.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$3.01 MX$56.4

-2.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.72 MX$32.16

-1.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.11 MX$39.49

6.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.54 MX$28.77

35.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.18 MX$40.87

-30.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$1.83 MX$34.28

-24.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$1.52 MX$28.52

-29.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$1.08 MX$20.19

-51.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.21 MX$78.8

-0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$9.40 MX$176

99.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.88 MX$35.28

-3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$3.27 MX$61.3

-13.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$0.72 MX$13.56

101.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$30.05 MX$563

88.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.53 MX$47.37

19.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$1.71 MX$32.07

-40.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$12.21 MX$229

-69.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.41 MX$26.37

4.26%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$22.8K MX$426.9K

17.54%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$21.8K MX$409.3K

22.21%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$61.8 MX$1,157

56.03%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$25.25 MX$473

-55.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$26.39 MX$495

-36.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$30.84 MX$578

118.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$20.41 MX$383

-47.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.02 MX$94.1

49.40%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$218 MX$4,086

118.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$4,259 MX$79.8K

164.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$53.2 MX$998

17.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$40.76 MX$764

-30.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$103 MX$1,921

-8.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$96.1 MX$1,801

-10.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$668 MX$12.5K

7.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$377 MX$7,064

30.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$995 MX$18.6K

93.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$755 MX$14.2K

89.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$2,008 MX$37.6K

107.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,178 MX$22.1K

158.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.31

-50.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

San Fernando

$377 33.1% 23.2% $114

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

San Fernando

$259 22.7% 2.8% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

San Fernando

$113 10% 8.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

San Fernando

$132 11.6% 8% $9.8

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

San Fernando

$174 15.3% 43.2% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

San Fernando

$41 3.6% 50.3% $41

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

San Fernando

$44 3.9% 37.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $668 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $37 in San Fernando. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $259, with San Fernando cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇽 San Fernando

🕒 Local time

06:38 6:38 AM

17:38 5:38 PM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

11,867

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket San Fernando 16,980 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
San Fernando

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 11% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,710 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: $716 in Phuket versus $668 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $218 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though San Fernando gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.