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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $866 in San Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,408 in San Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,950 in San Luis.

Living in Phuket is roughly 46% more expensive than in San Luis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, San Luis 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$10.94 ARS 16.2K

-59.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$40.35 ARS 59.9K

12.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$9.41 ARS 14.0K

-6.91%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.77 ARS 5,601

-21.22%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$2.36 ARS 3,498

-70.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.99 ARS 2,952

-80.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.59 ARS 2,355

59.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.92 ARS 4,332

28.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.34 ARS 1,988

60.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.53 ARS 2,274

18.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.06 ARS 3,052

5.83%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.20 ARS 3,262

2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$6.54 ARS 9,709

205.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.46 ARS 6,626

-18.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$5.70 ARS 8,470

137.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.23 ARS 1,828

163.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.52 ARS 2,257

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.51 ARS 2,248

54.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.10 ARS 3,113

-1.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.03 ARS 1,529

50.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.02 ARS 1,511

43.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.98 ARS 1,462

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.52 ARS 770

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.53 ARS 3,762

71.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$4.07 ARS 6,038

356.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.98 ARS 2,942

-6.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.47 ARS 5,153

-23.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.57 ARS 847

149.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.45 ARS 667

604.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.03 ARS 1,525

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$4.84 ARS 7,182

186.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.98 ARS 1,448

36.73%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$31.0K ARS 46.1M

-10.46%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$33.1K ARS 49.1M

0.94%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$59.6 ARS 88.5K

106.53%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$10.96 ARS 16.3K

25.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$21.52 ARS 32.0K

-14.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$26.14 ARS 38.8K

132.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$13.96 ARS 20.7K

22.92%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.53 ARS 8,206

60.40%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$104 ARS 154.5K

561.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$2,124 ARS 3.2M

642.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$82.7 ARS 122.8K

-28.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$76.0 ARS 112.8K

-54.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$134 ARS 199.1K

-14.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$118 ARS 175.1K

-28.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$305 ARS 452.4K

103.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$172 ARS 255.6K

159.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$527 ARS 783.3K

285.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$304 ARS 450.8K

392.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$992 ARS 1.5M

248.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$593 ARS 880.3K

326.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$494 ARS 733.1K

-0.01%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for San Luis: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $305 in San Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Luis pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in San Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 0% lower in San Luis. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $305 in San Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 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 $40.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $866 in San Luis versus $1,264 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 46% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.