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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,053 in San Juan del Sur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,662 in San Juan del Sur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,271 in San Juan del Sur.

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than in San Juan del Sur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, San Juan del Sur 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.24 NIO 155

4.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$33.90 NIO 1,242

-4.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$5.62 NIO 206

58.90%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.56 NIO 93.8

13.28%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.90 NIO 32.79

-2.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.73 NIO 26.56

-34.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$1.46 NIO 53.5

60.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.97 NIO 72.0

88.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.24 NIO 45.33

50.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.49 NIO 54.6

-1.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.22 NIO 44.54

27.05%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.29 NIO 83.7

-8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$7.77 NIO 285

152.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.45 NIO 236

-46.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$7.21 NIO 264

57.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$3.62 NIO 133

-17.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$0.57 NIO 21.05

194.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.85 NIO 67.9

19.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$2.19 NIO 80.3

-1.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$3.14 NIO 115

-51.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$2.20 NIO 80.5

-39.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.00 NIO 36.60

13.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$1.02 NIO 37.51

-46.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.59 NIO 94.7

64.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$9.74 NIO 357

96.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.41 NIO 51.6

26.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.33 NIO 85.2

19.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.68 NIO 61.5

80.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$1.60 NIO 58.6

-36.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$6.68 NIO 245

-41.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.35 NIO 49.27

10.37%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$23.3K NIO 853.2K

14.11%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$26.3K NIO 962.9K

2.81%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$60.4 NIO 2,212

69.68%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$10.53 NIO 386

7.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$36.64 NIO 1,342

-52.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$29.97 NIO 1,098

73.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$8.38 NIO 307

-8.23%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$240 NIO 8,802

133.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$5,957 NIO 218.2K

93.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$70.3 NIO 2,574

-10.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$71.9 NIO 2,633

-58.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$131 NIO 4,810

-25.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$109 NIO 3,975

-18.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$424 NIO 15.5K

74.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$383 NIO 14.0K

25.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$919 NIO 33.7K

129.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$771 NIO 28.2K

59.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$343 NIO 12.6K

43.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.25

-45.66%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for San Juan del Sur: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $424 in San Juan del Sur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 44% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in San Juan del Sur. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $220, with San Juan del Sur cheaper for home cooking.

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 del Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan del Sur is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $424 in San Juan del Sur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $240 in San Juan del Sur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Juan del Sur – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,053 in San Juan del Sur versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Juan del Sur but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan del Sur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Juan del Sur 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 del Sur 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 del Sur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.