Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Fernando, Trinidad And Tobago

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in San Fernando: $1,278 and $1,261 a month, rent and utilities included.

Phuket, Thailand
San Fernando, Trinidad And Tobago
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
San Fernando
🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago
$1,261
/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 $1,261 in San Fernando.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • San Fernando $1,261

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,030 in San Fernando.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • San Fernando $2,030

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,799 in San Fernando.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • San Fernando $2,799

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and San Fernando; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Fernando 7% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
San Fernando
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$10.49 TTD 70.8
-57.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,092
$58.5 TTD 395
-44.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$8.18 TTD 55.2
7.70%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.3
$3.72 TTD 25.14
-23.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.37
$1.01 TTD 6.80
-13.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.64
$0.73 TTD 4.93
-32.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.2
$1.80 TTD 12.14
42.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$2.59 TTD 17.46
42.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
San Fernando
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$2.07 TTD 13.97
-19.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.25
$2.33 TTD 15.76
-37.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.4
$2.76 TTD 18.61
-45.65%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.4
$3.81 TTD 25.73
-45.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿642
$6.47 TTD 43.66
194.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$10.09 TTD 68.1
-67.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$8.81 TTD 59.5
23.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.7
$5.37 TTD 36.26
-45.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$2.52 TTD 17.02
-32.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$3.72 TTD 25.13
-39.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$4.27 TTD 28.81
-51.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$0.77 TTD 5.22
96.10%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.47
$0.77 TTD 5.21
79.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.91
$1.48 TTD 10.02
-27.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.49
$1.15 TTD 7.73
-54.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$5.56 TTD 37.56
-24.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿633
$17.76 TTD 120
5.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$1.48 TTD 9.98
22.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.7
$2.97 TTD 20.08
-4.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
San Fernando
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$0.46 TTD 3.11
215.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,909
$44.91 TTD 303
26.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$0.91 TTD 6.11
231.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.29
$0.84 TTD 5.65
21.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$14.58 TTD 98.5
-74.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.70
$1.16 TTD 7.84
26.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿902.4K
$36.3K TTD 245.4K
-26.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿899.5K
$40.8K TTD 275.6K
-34.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
San Fernando
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,247
$44.29 TTD 299
117.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$42.32 TTD 286
-73.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$45.25 TTD 305
-62.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
San Fernando
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,266
$52.1 TTD 352
29.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿361
$22.39 TTD 151
-52.08%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$8.59 TTD 58.0
-12.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
San Fernando
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.0K
$403 TTD 2,722
18.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.6K
$10.6K TTD 71.9K
5.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
San Fernando
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,102
$53.7 TTD 363
16.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿957
$36.48 TTD 246
-22.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,178
$86.6 TTD 584
8.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,892
$87.6 TTD 592
-2.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
San Fernando
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$518 TTD 3,496
38.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.5K
$398 TTD 2,686
23.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿64.9K
$915 TTD 6,180
110.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.2K
$724 TTD 4,887
97.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.7K
$1,940 TTD 13.1K
115.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.6K
$1,527 TTD 10.3K
99.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
San Fernando
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$1,023 TTD 6,908
-50.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.75
-3.13%

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 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
San Fernando
$398 19% $93
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
San Fernando
$317 19.1% $51
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
San Fernando
$132 5.9% $7.4
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
San Fernando
$119 2.4% $2.9
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
San Fernando
$174 43.2% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
San Fernando
$69 15.7% $13
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
San Fernando
$52 26.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $518 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Fernando pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $59 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $317 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇹🇹 San Fernando
🕒 Local time
15:21 3:21 PM
04:21 4:21 AM
11 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
55,419
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

TTD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.75 TTD (1 TTD = 0.148 USD). 1 EUR = 7.53 TTD (1 TTD = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket San Fernando 17,010 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
Where can you earn more: Phuket or San Fernando?
On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and San Fernando?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $518 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $403 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in San Fernando?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $59 in San Fernando. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 enough for either Phuket or San Fernando?
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.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in San Fernando?
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.

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