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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $800 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,291 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,782 in San Juan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than in San Juan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, San Juan 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.71 ₱166

65.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$8.83 ₱540

416.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.65 ₱224

140.00%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.86 ₱175

3.85%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.81 ₱49.67

-14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.44 ₱26.79

-11.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.50 ₱91.7

68.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.02 ₱124

85.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.80 ₱110

19.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.62 ₱99.3

12.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.93 ₱57.0

134.41%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.00 ₱122

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.88 ₱482

153.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.04 ₱308

-27.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.83 ₱663

25.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.39 ₱147

35.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.52 ₱93.0

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$3.15 ₱193

-26.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.20 ₱73.3

72.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.68 ₱103

-7.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$3.43 ₱210

-57.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.06 ₱64.9

-7.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.88 ₱53.8

-45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.92 ₱179

48.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$7.88 ₱483

135.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$0.74 ₱45.42

151.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.57 ₱96.2

68.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.15 ₱9.43

846.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.69 ₱42.26

359.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.24 ₱14.75

329.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.18 ₱133

537.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.12 ₱68.8

19.64%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$28.7K ₱1.8M

-3.13%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$17.4K ₱1.1M

91.44%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$130 ₱7,937

-5.10%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$33.03 ₱2,022

-58.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$26.53 ₱1,624

-30.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$69.8 ₱4,270

-13.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$4.51 ₱276

280.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.03 ₱247

120.10%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$145 ₱8,874

374.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,273 ₱261.5K

269.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$44.93 ₱2,751

31.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$33.70 ₱2,063

2.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$69.1 ₱4,227

66.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$113 ₱6,940

-26.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$262 ₱16.0K

137.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$104 ₱6,388

327.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,278 ₱78.2K

59.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$396 ₱24.2K

277.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,341 ₱143.3K

47.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,048 ₱64.1K

141.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$241 ₱14.8K

104.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.17

-13.61%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for San Juan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $262 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 105% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $216 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, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 105% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $262 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $145 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Juan – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $800 in San Juan versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 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 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.