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 $1,197 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,968 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,740 in San Fernando.

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than San Fernando, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, San Fernando 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.30 TTD 70.0

-55.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$59.2 TTD 402

-20.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.54 TTD 51.2

17.24%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.76 TTD 25.52

-20.21%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.09 TTD 7.37

-32.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.80 TTD 5.45

-53.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.90 TTD 12.89

28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.47 TTD 16.76

46.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.00 TTD 13.56

13.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.32 TTD 15.74

-20.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.57 TTD 17.44

-12.84%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.77 TTD 25.58

-38.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.07 TTD 54.8

143.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$10.36 TTD 70.3

-64.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$8.47 TTD 57.5

54.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$5.81 TTD 39.45

-41.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.55 TTD 17.30

-35.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$4.29 TTD 29.10

-43.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.63 TTD 31.46

-56.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.23 TTD 8.33

26.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.77 TTD 5.23

94.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.46 TTD 9.90

-30.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.21 TTD 8.22

-59.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.52 TTD 37.49

-19.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$17.74 TTD 120

6.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.50 TTD 10.20

18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.73 TTD 18.54

0.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.42 TTD 2.86

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$44.18 TTD 300

-74.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.92 TTD 6.23

239.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.92 TTD 6.24

8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$14.79 TTD 100

-4.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.03 TTD 7.00

31.07%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$34.2K TTD 232.4K

-20.57%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$38.8K TTD 263.7K

-15.23%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$45.18 TTD 307

176.63%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$42.01 TTD 285

-67.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$46.20 TTD 314

-59.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$45.57 TTD 309

34.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$8.82 TTD 59.9

90.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$9.12 TTD 61.9

0.77%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$326 TTD 2,212

114.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$2,226 TTD 15.1K

600.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$45.00 TTD 306

28.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$36.74 TTD 249

-4.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$88.3 TTD 600

28.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$89.8 TTD 610

-3.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$532 TTD 3,610

15.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$348 TTD 2,365

28.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$977 TTD 6,636

109.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$699 TTD 4,749

113.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,016 TTD 13.7K

87.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,497 TTD 10.2K

76.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,009 TTD 6,850

-48.08%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $532 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Fernando pays 93% 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 $292 vs $329 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 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, San Fernando earns 93% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $532 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $326 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 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,197 in San Fernando versus $1,232 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 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.