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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $866 in San Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,402 in San Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,939 in San Luis.

Living in Phuket is roughly 42% more expensive than San Luis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, San Luis 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$11.17 ARS 15.6K

-58.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$40.52 ARS 56.5K

15.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.58 ARS 13.4K

-7.72%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.67 ARS 5,122

-18.26%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$2.25 ARS 3,139

-67.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.06 ARS 2,872

-82.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.64 ARS 2,288

48.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.93 ARS 4,094

23.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.34 ARS 1,865

68.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.56 ARS 2,176

17.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.01 ARS 2,806

11.44%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.16 ARS 3,019

7.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.59 ARS 9,193

198.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.64 ARS 6,473

-21.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$5.59 ARS 7,806

134.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.23 ARS 1,714

175.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.53 ARS 2,132

7.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.46 ARS 2,032

65.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.08 ARS 2,909

-2.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.97 ARS 1,358

60.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.99 ARS 1,380

51.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.02 ARS 1,419

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.51 ARS 707

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.43 ARS 3,386

83.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.93 ARS 6,874

282.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.05 ARS 2,859

-13.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.47 ARS 4,848

-20.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.54 ARS 753

159.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.45 ARS 622

593.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.01 ARS 1,410

-0.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$4.91 ARS 6,854

186.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.02 ARS 1,425

32.35%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$31.0K ARS 43.2M

-12.29%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.7K ARS 47.0M

-2.26%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$59.8 ARS 83.4K

109.17%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$10.86 ARS 15.2K

24.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$21.91 ARS 30.6K

-15.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$26.00 ARS 36.3K

136.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$13.60 ARS 19.0K

23.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.56 ARS 7,760

65.29%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$104 ARS 145.6K

568.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$2,181 ARS 3.0M

614.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$81.9 ARS 114.3K

-29.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$78.2 ARS 109.0K

-54.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$132 ARS 184.8K

-14.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$118 ARS 165.0K

-26.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$297 ARS 414.0K

107.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$167 ARS 232.9K

167.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$523 ARS 729.3K

291.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$303 ARS 422.8K

392.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,074 ARS 2.9M

82.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$605 ARS 844.4K

337.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$491 ARS 684.4K

6.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-93.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for San Luis: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $297 in San Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 7% 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 $41.00 in San Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $179 per month, with San Luis 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 Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Luis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 7% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $297 in San Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $104 in San Luis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Luis – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $866 in San Luis versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Luis but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Luis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Luis 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 Luis 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 Luis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.