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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $791 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,179 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,568 in San Fernando.

Living in Phuket is roughly 59% more expensive than San Fernando, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Fernando 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.49 ₱212

30.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$13.13 ₱797

255.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$2.69 ₱163

214.87%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.08 ₱65.9

180.56%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.46 ₱27.97

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.34 ₱20.45

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.36 ₱82.7

83.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.39 ₱84.7

163.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.92 ₱117

13.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.23 ₱74.8

54.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.90 ₱54.4

144.44%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.19 ₱133

1.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.24 ₱561

116.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.70 ₱225

-1.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.67 ₱466

72.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.73 ₱166

18.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.73 ₱105

-1.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.35 ₱143

1.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.17 ₱71.2

77.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.88 ₱114

-15.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.15 ₱130

-31.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.67 ₱40.50

53.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.64 ₱38.83

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.34 ₱203

27.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$9.02 ₱548

108.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.07 ₱65.1

64.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.42 ₱86.1

94.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.26 ₱15.70

423.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$20.97 ₱1,274

-45.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.74 ₱44.90

324.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.22 ₱13.29

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$1.07 ₱65.2

1186.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.15 ₱70.1

16.52%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$28.6K ₱1.7M

-3.27%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$23.6K ₱1.4M

43.37%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$107 ₱6,484

15.73%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$17.57 ₱1,067

-23.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$26.07 ₱1,583

-28.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$30.79 ₱1,870

100.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$4.36 ₱265

295.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.32 ₱262

111.57%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$61.9 ₱3,759

1034.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,953 ₱118.6K

712.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$35.19 ₱2,137

68.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$15.77 ₱957

122.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$52.9 ₱3,213

117.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$47.04 ₱2,856

78.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$353 ₱21.4K

75.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$236 ₱14.3K

83.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$596 ₱36.2K

245.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$493 ₱29.9K

206.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,342 ₱142.2K

55.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,144 ₱69.4K

129.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$342 ₱20.8K

48.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.5

-3.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $353 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 48% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $199 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 48% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $353 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $61.9 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $791 in San Fernando versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 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 59% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.