Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Martino in Rio Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Martino in Rio

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,730 in San Martino in Rio.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,622 in San Martino in Rio.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,515 in San Martino in Rio.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 28% less than in San Martino in Rio, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, San Martino in Rio is 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$17.09 €14.96

-73.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$79.7 €69.8

-42.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$11.50 €10.07

-23.13%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.04 €1.79

50.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$3.38 €2.96

-78.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.42 €1.24

-71.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$5.74 €5.03

-57.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$5.83 €5.11

-35.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.52 €1.33

48.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.02 €1.77

-10.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.89 €1.66

19.05%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.81 €3.34

-40.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$19.67 €17.22

-0.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$10.48 €9.18

-65.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$21.24 €18.61

-38.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.00 €1.75

61.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.03 €1.78

-20.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.64 €2.31

-9.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$3.46 €3.03

-41.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.37 €2.07

-35.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.73 €1.52

-13.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.06 €0.93

-7.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.50 €0.44

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$7.06 €6.18

-37.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.99 €6.13

162.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.84 €1.61

1.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$3.08 €2.69

-12.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.77 €1.55

-20.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$43.34 €37.96

-73.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$5.82 €5.10

-46.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.04 €0.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$23.58 €20.65

-40.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$2.10 €1.84

-37.62%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$29.0K €25.4K

-4.02%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$39.0K €34.1K

-14.79%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$226 €198

-45.71%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$11.47 €10.04

18.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$28.17 €24.67

-33.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$53.9 €47.20

12.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$23.24 €20.35

-26.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$10.83 €9.48

-16.25%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$521 €457

35.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$8,159 €7,146

93.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$86.9 €76.1

-32.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$37.86 €33.16

-6.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$119 €105

-3.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$114 €99.9

-26.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$742 €649

-15.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$575 €504

-22.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,211 €1,061

68.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$923 €808

61.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$3,097 €2,713

12.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,275 €1,993

13.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.17

27.82%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for San Martino in Rio: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $742 in San Martino in Rio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $80.0 in San Martino in Rio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $333 per month, with Phuket 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 Martino in Rio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $2,594 in San Martino in Rio 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: $626 in Phuket versus $742 in San Martino in Rio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $521 in San Martino in Rio. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in San Martino in Rio. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,730 in San Martino in Rio, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Martino in Rio. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in San Martino in Rio, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and San Martino in Rio 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in San Martino in Rio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.