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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $783 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,285 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,786 in San Juan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 56% more expensive than San Juan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, San Juan 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$2.73 ₱164

65.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$9.03 ₱544

416.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$3.64 ₱219

133.24%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.85 ₱172

8.07%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.78 ₱46.90

-12.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.48 ₱29.04

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$1.49 ₱89.5

63.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.10 ₱127

72.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.82 ₱109

20.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.56 ₱93.8

16.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.00 ₱60.1

123.00%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.07 ₱125

8.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$7.86 ₱474

149.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$5.11 ₱308

-27.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$10.47 ₱630

28.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.28 ₱137

47.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.50 ₱90.6

8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$3.21 ₱193

-24.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.20 ₱72.2

65.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.69 ₱102

-9.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$3.60 ₱217

-59.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.11 ₱66.6

-9.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.90 ₱54.3

-46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$2.87 ₱173

48.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$7.43 ₱448

157.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$0.72 ₱43.56

155.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.58 ₱95.0

73.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.17 ₱10.15

735.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.72 ₱43.43

316.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.22 ₱13.22

377.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$2.11 ₱127

558.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.12 ₱67.5

15.18%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$28.2K ₱1.7M

-0.66%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$18.0K ₱1.1M

86.59%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$127 ₱7,628

-3.69%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$33.34 ₱2,008

-58.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$26.33 ₱1,586

-28.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$72.2 ₱4,346

-15.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$4.54 ₱273

270.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$3.89 ₱234

128.53%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$149 ₱8,971

364.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$4,324 ₱260.4K

273.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$46.12 ₱2,777

25.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$34.52 ₱2,079

2.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$68.0 ₱4,092

66.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$114 ₱6,891

-27.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$269 ₱16.2K

125.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$108 ₱6,500

315.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$1,256 ₱75.6K

61.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$390 ₱23.5K

282.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$2,548 ₱153.5K

40.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,121 ₱67.5K

130.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$248 ₱14.9K

103.82%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for San Juan: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $269 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $215 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, Getting Around. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 104% more on average, 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: $607 in Phuket versus $269 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $149 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 $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $783 in San Juan versus $1,223 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 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.