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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $607 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $996 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,384 in San Juan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 106% more expensive than in San Juan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Juan 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.85 ARS 8,646

-22.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$29.44 ARS 43.5K

56.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$7.88 ARS 11.6K

12.18%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.54 ARS 2,278

98.70%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.96 ARS 1,417

-23.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.91 ARS 1,341

-56.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.94 ARS 2,875

25.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.98 ARS 4,402

26.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.71 ARS 1,055

218.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.66 ARS 975

174.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.24 ARS 1,828

81.45%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.74 ARS 2,568

29.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$3.34 ARS 4,940

484.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.49 ARS 5,157

4.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$4.09 ARS 6,047

219.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.48 ARS 2,186

118.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.53 ARS 2,260

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.54 ARS 2,272

54.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$2.15 ARS 3,173

-5.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.64 ARS 943

139.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.62 ARS 916

141.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.39 ARS 570

151.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.86 ARS 1,272

-39.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.78 ARS 2,626

149.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$4.91 ARS 7,253

273.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.48 ARS 2,184

25.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$1.84 ARS 2,727

45.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.29 ARS 427

386.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$5.10 ARS 7,537

129.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.41 ARS 609

658.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.03 ARS 1,522

0.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$4.99 ARS 7,381

182.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.11 ARS 1,634

18.02%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$31.6K ARS 46.6M

-11.86%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$21.0K ARS 31.1M

57.84%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$77.7 ARS 114.9K

57.54%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$5.10 ARS 7,544

166.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$10.17 ARS 15.0K

83.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$17.83 ARS 26.3K

239.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$6.07 ARS 8,967

179.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$1.97 ARS 2,916

360.41%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$102 ARS 150.9K

591.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$2,197 ARS 3.2M

619.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$49.17 ARS 72.7K

19.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$49.82 ARS 73.6K

-29.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$99.7 ARS 147.4K

15.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$118 ARS 173.8K

-28.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$150 ARS 221.1K

318.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$91.6 ARS 135.3K

386.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$250 ARS 369.7K

715.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$204 ARS 301.1K

632.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,550 ARS 3.8M

36.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,083 ARS 3.1M

23.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$709 ARS 1.0M

-29.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-93.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for San Juan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $150 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 42% 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 $29.00 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $135 per month, with San Juan 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 Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in San Juan. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $150 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $102 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 115% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $607 in San Juan versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Juan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Juan 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 Juan 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 Juan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.