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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $749 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,110 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,472 in San Juan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 64% more expensive than in San Juan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, San Juan 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.00 ₱251

10.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$16.40 ₱1,029

96.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$2.74 ₱172

225.91%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.23 ₱140

30.04%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.63 ₱39.24

39.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.31 ₱19.13

54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.06 ₱66.2

121.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.55 ₱97.3

140.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.60 ₱100

16.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.15 ₱72.1

27.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.89 ₱56.1

74.16%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.74 ₱109

20.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$4.96 ₱311

294.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.47 ₱217

-1.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$7.14 ₱448

59.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.30 ₱144

29.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.36 ₱85.4

23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.35 ₱147

-5.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.04 ₱65.2

107.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.74 ₱109

-12.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.71 ₱107

-21.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.66 ₱41.36

71.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.89 ₱56.1

-38.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.83 ₱177

50.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.53 ₱472

153.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.96 ₱59.9

85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.78 ₱112

56.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.24 ₱14.94

829.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$11.42 ₱716

99.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.77 ₱48.23

293.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.23 ₱14.45

343.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.96 ₱123

98.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.14 ₱71.3

30.70%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$20.9K ₱1.3M

27.33%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

42.92%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$140 ₱8,754

-26.59%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$14.52 ₱911

-21.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$24.57 ₱1,541

-29.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$33.55 ₱2,104

55.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$5.02 ₱315

120.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.25 ₱329

46.48%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$72.4 ₱4,540

674.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$2,458 ₱154.2K

368.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$28.28 ₱1,774

122.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$19.75 ₱1,238

49.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$71.7 ₱4,500

36.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$55.4 ₱3,475

59.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$268 ₱16.8K

174.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$169 ₱10.6K

185.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$504 ₱31.6K

318.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$300 ₱18.8K

308.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,930 ₱183.8K

23.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,061 ₱66.5K

145.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$242 ₱15.2K

104.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $268 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 104% 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 $16.00 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $171 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 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 104% 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 $268 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $72.4 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $749 in San Juan versus $1,232 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 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.