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 $777 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,188 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,600 in San Fernando.

Living in Phuket is roughly 63% more expensive than in San Fernando, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, San Fernando 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.49 ₱214

28.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$13.46 ₱824

238.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$2.72 ₱166

222.06%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.05 ₱64.3

182.86%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.42 ₱25.89

64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.36 ₱22.12

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.31 ₱80.3

93.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.45 ₱88.7

158.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.90 ₱116

13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.20 ₱73.6

51.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.90 ₱55.1

142.22%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.28 ₱140

-1.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$9.11 ₱558

119.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.87 ₱237

-6.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.98 ₱489

69.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.76 ₱169

17.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.78 ₱109

-7.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.35 ₱144

-0.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.16 ₱70.8

78.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.90 ₱116

-18.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.09 ₱128

-30.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.67 ₱41.28

46.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.64 ₱39.30

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.30 ₱202

31.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.76 ₱537

111.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.08 ₱66.0

72.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.50 ₱91.8

76.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.26 ₱15.91

446.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$21.66 ₱1,326

-46.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.72 ₱44.22

340.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.22 ₱13.41

368.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.04 ₱63.6

1235.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.16 ₱71.0

15.52%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$28.0K ₱1.7M

-0.70%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$23.6K ₱1.4M

41.53%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$106 ₱6,478

16.27%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$17.60 ₱1,077

-21.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$26.09 ₱1,597

-29.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$30.71 ₱1,880

97.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$4.49 ₱275

282.18%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.52 ₱277

96.24%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$61.2 ₱3,748

1023.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$1,951 ₱119.4K

708.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$34.76 ₱2,128

70.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$16.18 ₱991

114.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$53.5 ₱3,274

115.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$46.40 ₱2,840

80.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$357 ₱21.9K

73.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$243 ₱14.9K

83.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$596 ₱36.5K

241.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$478 ₱29.3K

212.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,206 ₱135.0K

56.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,047 ₱64.1K

141.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$345 ₱21.1K

43.12%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $357 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 43% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $200 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 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 43% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $357 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $61.2 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $777 in San Fernando versus $1,264 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 63% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.