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 $700 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,045 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,391 in San Fernando.

Living in Phuket is roughly 76% more expensive than in San Fernando, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, San Fernando 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.88 ₱244

13.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$16.54 ₱1,039

95.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$2.88 ₱181

210.07%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$1.85 ₱116

56.76%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.39 ₱24.32

125.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.31 ₱19.29

54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.02 ₱64.3

130.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.30 ₱82.0

186.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.66 ₱104

12.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.16 ₱73.0

26.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.91 ₱56.9

70.33%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.98 ₱125

6.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$5.22 ₱328

275.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.45 ₱217

-0.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$7.78 ₱489

46.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.29 ₱144

30.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.29 ₱81.3

30.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.34 ₱147

-5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.07 ₱67.4

101.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.68 ₱106

-9.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.60 ₱101

-16.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.67 ₱41.88

68.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.53 ₱33.30

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.88 ₱181

47.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.82 ₱554

116.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$0.90 ₱56.4

97.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.29 ₱81.3

115.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.27 ₱16.68

725.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$11.28 ₱709

101.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.66 ₱41.65

359.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.23 ₱14.41

343.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$0.94 ₱58.9

313.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$0.98 ₱61.8

52.04%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

26.39%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

40.37%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$143 ₱8,972

-28.24%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$17.75 ₱1,115

-36.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$23.63 ₱1,485

-26.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$31.58 ₱1,984

64.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$4.85 ₱305

128.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.91 ₱308

56.62%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$78.2 ₱4,910

617.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$1,130 ₱71.0K

917.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$19.26 ₱1,210

227.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$15.83 ₱994

86.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$31.40 ₱1,973

212.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$47.12 ₱2,960

87.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$264 ₱16.6K

179.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$172 ₱10.8K

180.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$495 ₱31.1K

325.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$353 ₱22.2K

246.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$2,815 ₱176.8K

28.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,052 ₱66.1K

147.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$334 ₱21.0K

47.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-7.17%

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 $264 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $172 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 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Phuket, 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: $738 in Phuket versus $264 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $78.2 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $700 in San Fernando versus $1,232 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 76% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.