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 $1,198 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,963 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,727 in San Fernando.

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than San Fernando, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Fernando 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$10.19 TTD 68.9

-55.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$59.3 TTD 401

-21.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.36 TTD 49.77

15.08%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.55 TTD 24.03

-14.65%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.06 TTD 7.15

-34.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.75 TTD 5.06

-50.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.89 TTD 12.77

31.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.46 TTD 16.63

48.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.07 TTD 14.01

5.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.34 TTD 15.81

-18.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.63 TTD 17.77

-16.35%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.77 TTD 25.47

-41.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.96 TTD 53.8

151.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$10.53 TTD 71.2

-65.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$8.52 TTD 57.6

55.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$5.96 TTD 40.27

-45.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.58 TTD 17.48

-34.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$4.32 TTD 29.23

-44.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$4.74 TTD 32.05

-56.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.23 TTD 8.30

29.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.73 TTD 4.92

102.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.46 TTD 9.84

-29.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.21 TTD 8.16

-57.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.69 TTD 38.45

-25.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$17.94 TTD 121

4.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.54 TTD 10.41

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.82 TTD 19.06

-2.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.42 TTD 2.86

223.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$43.75 TTD 296

-74.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.86 TTD 5.79

265.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.91 TTD 6.16

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$14.70 TTD 99.4

-6.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.03 TTD 6.98

30.10%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$33.8K TTD 228.2K

-18.01%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$38.4K TTD 259.8K

-11.88%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$44.62 TTD 302

176.98%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$41.80 TTD 283

-67.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$45.79 TTD 310

-59.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$45.66 TTD 309

35.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$8.95 TTD 60.5

92.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$9.01 TTD 60.9

1.44%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$324 TTD 2,190

116.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$2,257 TTD 15.3K

603.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$44.69 TTD 302

33.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$36.57 TTD 247

-4.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$89.0 TTD 602

29.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$87.7 TTD 593

-4.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$550 TTD 3,720

12.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$341 TTD 2,302

27.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$952 TTD 6,436

116.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$697 TTD 4,714

116.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,003 TTD 13.5K

82.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,489 TTD 10.1K

76.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,031 TTD 6,971

-50.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.38

-0.93%

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 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $550 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Fernando pays 103% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $59.0 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $333 per month, with Phuket 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 Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, San Fernando earns 103% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $550 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $324 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,198 in San Fernando versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 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 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.