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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $757 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,317 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $1,878 in San Juan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 67% more expensive than in San Juan, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, San Juan 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$10.40 TTD 69.8

-57.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$59.4 TTD 399

-40.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$7.88 TTD 52.9

13.71%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$3.82 TTD 25.63

-21.47%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.21 TTD 8.15

-36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.78 TTD 5.21

-39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.27 TTD 15.27

5.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$2.91 TTD 19.52

28.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.99 TTD 13.34

-8.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$2.29 TTD 15.38

-37.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$2.89 TTD 19.39

-46.37%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$3.91 TTD 26.28

-45.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$6.77 TTD 45.46

191.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$10.05 TTD 67.5

-65.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$8.69 TTD 58.4

27.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$5.36 TTD 35.96

-45.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$2.58 TTD 17.29

-35.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$3.63 TTD 24.36

-37.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$4.40 TTD 29.55

-52.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$0.71 TTD 4.77

107.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$0.72 TTD 4.81

95.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.44 TTD 9.68

-24.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$1.16 TTD 7.81

-53.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$5.62 TTD 37.74

-20.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$17.67 TTD 119

5.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.56 TTD 10.47

17.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$2.95 TTD 19.80

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$0.92 TTD 6.19

230.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.85 TTD 5.71

28.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$14.95 TTD 100

-74.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.16 TTD 7.81

28.45%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$36.4K TTD 244.6K

-24.68%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$41.9K TTD 281.4K

-34.36%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$44.12 TTD 296

130.76%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$42.10 TTD 283

-73.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$46.00 TTD 309

-61.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$8.76 TTD 58.8

-10.39%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$393 TTD 2,637

46.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$10.4K TTD 69.8K

11.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$54.7 TTD 367

19.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$37.55 TTD 252

-23.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$87.5 TTD 587

13.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$87.9 TTD 590

2.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.75

-3.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for San Juan: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $59.0 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $318 per month, with Phuket 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 Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,135 in San Juan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $393 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 $59.0 versus $35.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $757 in San Juan versus $1,261 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 67% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.