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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,253 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,001 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,749 in San Fernando.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than in San Fernando, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, San Fernando 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$10.29 TTD 69.4

-54.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$59.1 TTD 399

-45.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$8.15 TTD 54.9

6.50%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.80 TTD 25.64

-23.68%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.99 TTD 6.67

-15.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.76 TTD 5.12

-35.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.87 TTD 12.61

32.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.51 TTD 16.92

48.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$2.03 TTD 13.66

-6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$2.26 TTD 15.25

-37.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.81 TTD 18.92

-42.35%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.93 TTD 26.50

-43.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$6.79 TTD 45.75

192.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$9.95 TTD 67.1

-65.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$8.72 TTD 58.8

30.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$5.54 TTD 37.36

-47.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.47 TTD 16.65

-30.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$3.59 TTD 24.23

-36.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$4.18 TTD 28.20

-49.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.72 TTD 4.86

104.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.77 TTD 5.19

84.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.51 TTD 10.19

-27.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.16 TTD 7.82

-48.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$5.76 TTD 38.84

-25.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$17.73 TTD 120

4.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.56 TTD 10.53

15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$3.04 TTD 20.50

-2.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.45 TTD 3.05

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$44.37 TTD 299

-47.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.87 TTD 5.86

256.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.90 TTD 6.09

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$14.99 TTD 101

-74.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.17 TTD 7.91

22.22%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$36.2K TTD 244.4K

-23.34%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$41.2K TTD 277.8K

-34.51%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$44.23 TTD 298

136.94%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$42.55 TTD 287

-73.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$46.30 TTD 312

-62.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$51.0 TTD 344

6.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$8.89 TTD 59.9

-12.49%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$396 TTD 2,670

45.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$11.0K TTD 74.2K

5.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$55.2 TTD 372

15.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$37.31 TTD 252

-22.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$89.7 TTD 605

7.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$87.5 TTD 590

2.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$509 TTD 3,429

44.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$391 TTD 2,634

28.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$891 TTD 6,007

138.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$745 TTD 5,025

68.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,997 TTD 13.5K

76.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,513 TTD 10.2K

73.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,028 TTD 6,928

-50.61%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $509 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Fernando pays 102% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $59.0 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $317 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 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 102% lower in San Fernando. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $509 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $396 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 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,253 in San Fernando versus $1,265 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 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.