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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $958 in San Martin de los Andes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,590 in San Martin de los Andes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,222 in San Martin de los Andes.

Living in Phuket is roughly 32% more expensive than San Martin de los Andes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Martin de los Andes 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$10.34 ARS 14.8K

-55.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$33.99 ARS 48.6K

37.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$9.15 ARS 13.1K

-7.43%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.79 ARS 3,992

8.60%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.66 ARS 2,374

-58.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.55 ARS 2,214

-76.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.15 ARS 3,065

15.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.93 ARS 4,193

24.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.24 ARS 1,778

75.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.62 ARS 2,318

17.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.02 ARS 2,879

8.91%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.28 ARS 3,264

-2.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.91 ARS 14.2K

101.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.10 ARS 8,717

-40.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$9.43 ARS 13.5K

40.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.98 ARS 2,825

63.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.09 ARS 2,983

-18.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.32 ARS 1,882

81.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.59 ARS 3,706

-19.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.14 ARS 1,630

39.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.24 ARS 1,774

19.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.28 ARS 1,825

-19.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.47 ARS 2,105

-64.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.21 ARS 4,592

32.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.26 ARS 7,509

257.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.09 ARS 2,986

-15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$3.09 ARS 4,416

-10.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.76 ARS 1,092

78.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.47 ARS 2,097

113.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.87 ARS 1,243

19.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$5.93 ARS 8,467

132.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.06 ARS 1,519

26.42%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$27.6K ARS 39.4M

0.41%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$30.6K ARS 43.7M

10.76%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$67.3 ARS 96.2K

83.53%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$16.88 ARS 24.1K

-19.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$22.86 ARS 32.6K

-18.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$26.05 ARS 37.2K

137.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$13.73 ARS 19.6K

25.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.16 ARS 8,801

48.38%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$216 ARS 308.5K

225.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$2,653 ARS 3.8M

498.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$73.0 ARS 104.3K

-18.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$69.1 ARS 98.7K

-49.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$116 ARS 165.8K

-0.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$111 ARS 158.0K

-24.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$338 ARS 483.4K

82.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$239 ARS 341.7K

80.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$679 ARS 969.8K

203.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$536 ARS 765.2K

182.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,104 ARS 3.0M

73.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿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: June 7, 2026

Last update for San Martin de los Andes: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $338 in San Martin de los Andes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in San Martin de los Andes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $231 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 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,437 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: $619 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 $703 in Phuket versus $216 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 $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $958 in San Martin de los Andes versus $1,261 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 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.