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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $847 in San Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,389 in San Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,932 in San Luis.

Living in Phuket is roughly 44% more expensive than San Luis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, San Luis 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$11.21 ARS 16.1K

-59.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$41.37 ARS 59.4K

12.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$9.68 ARS 13.9K

-12.29%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$3.79 ARS 5,449

-18.73%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$2.24 ARS 3,215

-69.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$2.02 ARS 2,904

-82.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$1.57 ARS 2,258

54.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.87 ARS 4,124

26.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.34 ARS 1,919

63.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.54 ARS 2,215

17.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.99 ARS 2,852

12.06%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.19 ARS 3,140

2.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$6.58 ARS 9,456

197.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$4.63 ARS 6,647

-19.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$5.47 ARS 7,852

146.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.29 ARS 1,848

160.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.46 ARS 2,104

10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.46 ARS 2,104

65.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$2.11 ARS 3,035

-5.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.98 ARS 1,411

56.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$0.97 ARS 1,400

49.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.02 ARS 1,466

-0.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.55 ARS 786

-12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$2.56 ARS 3,673

66.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$4.04 ARS 5,801

373.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$2.06 ARS 2,953

-10.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$3.52 ARS 5,057

-22.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.57 ARS 817

149.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.45 ARS 640

566.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.02 ARS 1,465

2.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$4.79 ARS 6,878

190.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$0.99 ARS 1,418

30.30%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$31.9K ARS 45.8M

-12.09%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$34.0K ARS 48.8M

-1.45%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$61.1 ARS 87.7K

99.80%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$10.68 ARS 15.3K

30.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$22.14 ARS 31.8K

-14.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$26.53 ARS 38.1K

130.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$13.75 ARS 19.8K

22.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$5.34 ARS 7,666

66.48%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$105 ARS 151.3K

556.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$2,195 ARS 3.2M

636.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$80.5 ARS 115.6K

-28.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$76.7 ARS 110.2K

-53.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$138 ARS 197.7K

-17.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$119 ARS 171.3K

-30.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$303 ARS 435.0K

100.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$172 ARS 246.5K

161.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$533 ARS 765.8K

280.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$295 ARS 423.2K

406.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$1,018 ARS 1.5M

252.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$604 ARS 868.3K

327.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$503 ARS 722.4K

0.36%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for San Luis: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $303 in San Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 0% 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 $177 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 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 0% 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 $303 in San Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $105 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 $847 in San Luis versus $1,223 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 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.