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 $1,217 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,005 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,794 in San Fernando.

Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than in San Fernando, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, San Fernando 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$10.40 TTD 70.1

-56.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$59.1 TTD 399

-22.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.54 TTD 50.9

16.18%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$3.68 TTD 24.82

-19.29%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.09 TTD 7.34

-36.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.77 TTD 5.18

-49.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.82 TTD 12.30

39.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.48 TTD 16.73

51.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$2.03 TTD 13.72

5.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$2.34 TTD 15.80

-22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$2.63 TTD 17.71

-17.11%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$3.83 TTD 25.83

-41.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$8.09 TTD 54.6

147.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$10.45 TTD 70.5

-65.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$8.70 TTD 58.7

55.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$5.92 TTD 39.97

-45.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$2.48 TTD 16.75

-33.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$4.36 TTD 29.41

-46.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$4.67 TTD 31.51

-55.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.24 TTD 8.35

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.76 TTD 5.13

92.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.49 TTD 10.06

-34.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$1.16 TTD 7.85

-58.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$5.69 TTD 38.36

-23.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$17.35 TTD 117

7.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.52 TTD 10.24

22.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.71 TTD 18.27

-2.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.46 TTD 3.09

208.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$44.31 TTD 299

-73.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.85 TTD 5.76

272.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.86 TTD 5.77

19.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$14.56 TTD 98.2

-4.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$0.99 TTD 6.68

35.35%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$34.4K TTD 232.1K

-19.23%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$38.2K TTD 257.8K

-12.67%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$44.86 TTD 303

174.30%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$42.88 TTD 289

-67.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$45.00 TTD 304

-59.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$46.91 TTD 316

29.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$8.62 TTD 58.2

99.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$8.80 TTD 59.4

0.80%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$325 TTD 2,195

111.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$2,224 TTD 15.0K

609.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$43.93 TTD 296

34.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$36.61 TTD 247

-5.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$89.7 TTD 605

28.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$90.4 TTD 610

-7.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$533 TTD 3,596

16.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$349 TTD 2,355

27.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$976 TTD 6,583

108.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$695 TTD 4,688

115.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$1,976 TTD 13.3K

74.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,484 TTD 10.0K

70.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,030 TTD 6,947

-52.07%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $533 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Fernando pays 109% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $59.0 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $330 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 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 109% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $533 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $325 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 $1,217 in San Fernando versus $1,264 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 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.