Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Isidro Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Isidro

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,567 in San Isidro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,376 in San Isidro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,186 in San Isidro.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 20% less than in San Isidro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, San Isidro is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$10.21 ₡4,614

-55.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$51.3 ₡23.2K

-9.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$10.16 ₡4,590

-16.63%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.67 ₡1,658

-17.44%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.07 ₡934

-66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.64 ₡739

-77.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.97 ₡1,340

-16.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.59 ₡2,073

-20.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.96 ₡886

11.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.75 ₡1,241

-30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.22 ₡1,002

-0.90%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.88 ₡1,299

-22.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.81 ₡4,432

103.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$8.91 ₡4,025

-58.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$13.43 ₡6,068

-1.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$4.58 ₡2,068

-29.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.50 ₡679

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$4.33 ₡1,956

-44.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.18 ₡1,435

-34.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$3.29 ₡1,486

-51.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$3.03 ₡1,369

-51.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.97 ₡437

6.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$2.82 ₡1,272

-81.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.02 ₡2,270

-15.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$18.60 ₡8,403

1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.26 ₡1,021

-22.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.63 ₡1,190

4.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.94 ₡427

44.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.86 ₡841

68.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.79 ₡808

-41.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$7.71 ₡3,485

78.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.40 ₡633

-4.29%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$37.2K ₡16.8M

-25.53%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$32.0K ₡14.4M

5.97%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$95.5 ₡43.1K

29.47%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$25.86 ₡11.7K

-47.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$53.2 ₡24.1K

-64.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$56.5 ₡25.5K

9.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$23.65 ₡10.7K

-27.06%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$9.85 ₡4,450

-7.21%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$534 ₡241.2K

31.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$12.9K ₡5.8M

23.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$61.3 ₡27.7K

-2.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$52.5 ₡23.7K

-33.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$125 ₡56.6K

-8.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$110 ₡49.5K

-23.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$775 ₡350.3K

-20.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$605 ₡273.3K

-28.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,524 ₡688.5K

35.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$977 ₡441.6K

54.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.17

-47.59%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for San Isidro: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $775 in San Isidro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $51.0 in San Isidro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $354 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 Isidro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $2,351 in San Isidro to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $775 in San Isidro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $534 in San Isidro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $51.0 in San Isidro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,567 in San Isidro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Isidro. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in San Isidro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and San Isidro 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in San Isidro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.