Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Pablo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Pablo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $646 in San Pablo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $918 in San Pablo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,190 in San Pablo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 96% more expensive than in San Pablo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, San Pablo 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$4.11 ₱257

13.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$16.79 ₱1,053

91.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$2.75 ₱173

215.64%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.78 ₱112

62.92%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.42 ₱26.32

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.21 ₱12.92

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$0.99 ₱62.0

150.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$1.61 ₱101

131.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.63 ₱102

15.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.15 ₱71.9

22.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.93 ₱58.5

74.19%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.08 ₱130

7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$5.13 ₱322

286.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$3.46 ₱217

0.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$7.45 ₱467

52.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.24 ₱141

29.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.43 ₱89.4

20.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.57 ₱98.7

44.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.07 ₱66.9

99.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.62 ₱102

-9.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.76 ₱110

-19.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.62 ₱39.13

77.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.52 ₱32.65

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.89 ₱181

49.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$6.41 ₱402

190.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.97 ₱60.5

85.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.98 ₱124

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.23 ₱14.35

878.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.79 ₱49.27

292.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.23 ₱14.30

369.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$1.87 ₱117

106.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.93 ₱58.6

53.76%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

32.10%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

42.51%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$139 ₱8,737

-24.80%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$17.53 ₱1,099

-35.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$23.20 ₱1,454

-24.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$5.20 ₱326

49.62%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$134 ₱8,417

329.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$10.6K ₱662.1K

9.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$28.43 ₱1,782

123.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$19.36 ₱1,214

50.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$71.9 ₱4,504

33.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$55.1 ₱3,451

63.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$142 ₱8,883

417.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$128 ₱8,031

290.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$205 ₱12.9K

936.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$192 ₱12.1K

550.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$282 ₱17.7K

79.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for San Pablo: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $142 in San Pablo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 80% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in San Pablo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $165 per month, with San Pablo 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 Pablo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Pablo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 80% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $142 in San Pablo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $134 in San Pablo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Pablo – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $646 in San Pablo versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Pablo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Pablo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Pablo 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 Pablo 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 Pablo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.