Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Martin de los Andes Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Martin de los Andes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $980 in San Martin de los Andes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,586 in San Martin de los Andes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,192 in San Martin de los Andes.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in San Martin de los Andes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, San Martin de los Andes 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$10.68 ARS 15.9K

-58.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$34.42 ARS 51.1K

32.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$9.22 ARS 13.7K

-4.99%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.70 ARS 4,012

10.00%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.64 ARS 2,438

-57.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.49 ARS 2,214

-73.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.14 ARS 3,177

18.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.02 ARS 4,482

24.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.26 ARS 1,878

70.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.61 ARS 2,395

13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.04 ARS 3,031

6.86%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.25 ARS 3,347

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$10.27 ARS 15.3K

94.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.07 ARS 9,013

-40.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$9.50 ARS 14.1K

42.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.98 ARS 2,936

63.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.07 ARS 3,079

-20.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.31 ARS 1,944

77.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.56 ARS 3,801

-19.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.14 ARS 1,696

35.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.25 ARS 1,861

16.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.32 ARS 1,964

-25.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.47 ARS 2,187

-67.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.06 ARS 4,545

42.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$5.60 ARS 8,318

231.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.99 ARS 2,958

-6.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.19 ARS 4,741

-16.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.83 ARS 1,231

71.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.53 ARS 2,276

107.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.88 ARS 1,304

17.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$5.83 ARS 8,653

138.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.06 ARS 1,581

26.42%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$27.2K ARS 40.3M

2.35%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$30.0K ARS 44.6M

11.16%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$68.0 ARS 101.0K

80.93%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$17.21 ARS 25.6K

-19.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$22.80 ARS 33.9K

-19.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$25.82 ARS 38.3K

135.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$13.52 ARS 20.1K

26.92%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.08 ARS 9,029

45.89%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$218 ARS 323.3K

215.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$2,721 ARS 4.0M

479.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$73.6 ARS 109.2K

-19.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$68.4 ARS 101.6K

-49.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$116 ARS 171.7K

-0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$113 ARS 167.1K

-25.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$338 ARS 502.1K

83.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$237 ARS 351.9K

88.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$681 ARS 1.0M

198.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$530 ARS 787.5K

182.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,359 ARS 3.5M

46.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,650 ARS 2.4M

53.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

58.5

-90.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for San Martin de los Andes: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $338 in San Martin de los Andes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in San Martin de los Andes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $232 per month, with San Martin de los Andes 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 Martin de los Andes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Martin de los Andes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,469 in San Martin de los Andes 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $338 in San Martin de los Andes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $218 in San Martin de los Andes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Martin de los Andes – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $980 in San Martin de los Andes versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Martin de los Andes but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Martin de los Andes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Martin de los Andes 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 Martin de los Andes 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 Martin de los Andes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.