😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $697 in San Miguel Dueñas.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,049 in San Miguel Dueñas.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,402 in San Miguel Dueñas.
😐Living in Phuket is roughly 82% more expensive than San Miguel Dueñas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket6% lower, San Miguel Dueñas48% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
San Miguel Dueñas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.70฿153
$5.20Q 39.60
-9.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.37฿1,482
$16.17Q 123
180.58%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.43฿275
$4.53Q 34.49
86.09%
Cappuccino
$2.93฿95.6
$3.19Q 24.33
-8.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69฿22.40
$0.68Q 5.20
1.47%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.99
$0.40Q 3.06
-7.50%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.41฿78.6
$1.28Q 9.77
88.28%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72฿122
$1.16Q 8.81
220.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
San Miguel Dueñas
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.23฿72.9
$1.53Q 11.68
45.75%
White Bread(500g)
$1.83฿59.8
$0.75Q 5.73
144.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.17฿70.8
$1.69Q 12.88
28.40%
Eggs
$2.21฿72.3
$1.60Q 12.19
38.12%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.74฿645
$7.15Q 54.5
176.08%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.63฿119
$4.92Q 37.48
-26.22%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.53฿442
$9.36Q 71.4
44.55%
Apples(1kg)
$3.28฿107
$1.17Q 8.91
180.34%
Banana(1kg)
$1.61฿52.6
$1.41Q 10.76
14.18%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41฿78.6
$1.48Q 11.29
62.84%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.08฿68.1
$1.17Q 8.93
77.78%
Potato(1kg)
$1.53฿49.93
$0.81Q 6.14
88.89%
Onion(1kg)
$1.48฿48.36
$0.84Q 6.43
76.19%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.99฿32.29
$0.68Q 5.15
45.59%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51฿16.67
$0.82Q 6.23
-37.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.41฿144
$3.68Q 28.05
19.84%
Wine(Bottle)
$19.38฿633
$8.16Q 62.2
137.50%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78฿58.1
$1.34Q 10.20
32.84%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71฿88.6
$1.07Q 8.16
153.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
San Miguel Dueñas
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.37฿44.79
$0.12Q 0.93
1041.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.39฿372
$3.82Q 29.08
198.17%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.02฿98.6
$1.32Q 10.03
128.79%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.99฿32.48
$0.60Q 4.58
65.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.10฿461
$15.96Q 122
-11.65%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.36฿44.51
$1.12Q 8.54
21.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K฿921.1K
$17.1KQ 130.4K
64.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K฿1.1M
$18.3KQ 139.2K
80.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
San Miguel Dueñas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$122฿3,975
$55.8Q 425
118.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57฿443
$26.21Q 200
-48.23%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.31฿598
$48.78Q 372
-62.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
San Miguel Dueñas
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$60.2฿1,967
$19.87Q 151
203.07%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.14฿560
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.69฿284
$5.99Q 45.64
45.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
San Miguel Dueñas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$693฿22.6K
$245Q 1,870
182.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.7K฿512.3K
$5,704Q 43.5K
175.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
San Miguel Dueñas
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.5฿1,944
$50.4Q 384
18.07%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.77฿1,136
$52.9Q 403
-34.22%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115฿3,743
$92.7Q 706
23.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.3฿2,720
$46.07Q 351
80.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
San Miguel Dueñas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$613฿20.0K
$157Q 1,195
291.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$437฿14.3K
$128Q 975
241.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,094฿68.4K
$259Q 1,971
709.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,509฿49.3K
$198Q 1,512
660.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,749฿122.5K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,616฿85.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
San Miguel Dueñas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$508฿16.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
8.9
-40.11%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026
Last update for San Miguel Dueñas: May 30, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $157 in San Miguel Dueñas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in San Miguel Dueñas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $178 per month, with San Miguel Dueñas 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 Miguel Dueñas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Miguel Dueñas cheaper than Phuket?
San Miguel Dueñas is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,045 in San Miguel Dueñas 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and San Miguel Dueñas?
Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $157 in San Miguel Dueñas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $245 in San Miguel Dueñas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and San Miguel Dueñas?
Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or San Miguel Dueñas?
At $697 in San Miguel Dueñas versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Miguel Dueñas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Miguel Dueñas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or San Miguel Dueñas more family-friendly?
For families, San Miguel Dueñas 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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or San Miguel Dueñas?
Safety-wise, Phuket and San Miguel Dueñas are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find San Miguel Dueñas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.