Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Lorenzo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Lorenzo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $431 in San Lorenzo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $722 in San Lorenzo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,013 in San Lorenzo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 194% more expensive than San Lorenzo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Lorenzo 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.46 ₲27.2K

5.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$26.34 ₲160.5K

72.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.51 ₲27.5K

86.92%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.89 ₲11.5K

55.03%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.84 ₲5,143

-17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.47 ₲2,854

-21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.43 ₲8,724

68.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.91 ₲11.6K

94.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.86 ₲5,243

159.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.57 ₲3,452

221.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.78 ₲4,776

178.21%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.66 ₲10.1K

33.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$5.97 ₲36.4K

230.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.94 ₲17.9K

23.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.09 ₲37.1K

122.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.68 ₲10.3K

95.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.78 ₲4,753

106.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.76 ₲4,632

217.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.10 ₲6,732

89.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.71 ₲4,325

115.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.77 ₲4,677

92.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.38 ₲2,325

160.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.36 ₲2,223

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.39 ₲8,491

217.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$3.61 ₲22.0K

436.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.62 ₲3,768

187.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$0.74 ₲4,535

266.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.45 ₲2,739

204.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$35.50 ₲216.4K

-67.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.65 ₲3,946

364.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.79 ₲4,806

25.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.04 ₲24.6K

249.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.84 ₲5,108

61.90%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$14.6K ₲88.7M

93.74%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.4K ₲149.0M

34.61%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$42.73 ₲260.4K

184.81%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.79 ₲84.1K

-1.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$15.37 ₲93.7K

19.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$15.21 ₲92.7K

295.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$8.59 ₲52.4K

99.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.30 ₲26.2K

102.09%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$167 ₲1.0M

316.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$3,223 ₲19.6M

386.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$48.77 ₲297.2K

22.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$30.01 ₲182.9K

15.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$71.0 ₲432.7K

61.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$47.95 ₲292.2K

73.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.17

-47.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for San Lorenzo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in San Lorenzo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $118 per month, with San Lorenzo 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 Lorenzo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Lorenzo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 194% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $647 in San Lorenzo 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 $693 in Phuket versus $167 in San Lorenzo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 148% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $431 in San Lorenzo versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Lorenzo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Lorenzo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Lorenzo 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 Lorenzo 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 Lorenzo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 194% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.