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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $822 in San Pablo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,237 in San Pablo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,651 in San Pablo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 52% more expensive than in San Pablo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Pablo 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.75 ₱293

-4.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$14.00 ₱863

229.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$3.14 ₱194

181.53%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.98 ₱184

2.68%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.43 ₱26.21

69.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.28 ₱17.27

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$0.70 ₱42.90

247.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.17 ₱134

74.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.69 ₱104

33.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.81 ₱49.95

123.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.74 ₱45.90

204.05%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.99 ₱123

13.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$5.26 ₱324

270.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.86 ₱238

-5.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.19 ₱443

81.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$4.51 ₱278

-28.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.07 ₱66.0

51.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.37 ₱146

0.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.63 ₱100

24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.44 ₱88.6

6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.03 ₱63.6

45.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.90 ₱55.8

8.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.59 ₱36.55

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.53 ₱156

75.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.49 ₱400

182.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.13 ₱69.8

64.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.97 ₱122

36.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.28 ₱17.47

403.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.84 ₱51.7

270.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.24 ₱14.82

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.19 ₱135

544.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.15 ₱70.8

13.91%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$25.4K ₱1.6M

9.42%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.4K ₱1.3M

62.75%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$166 ₱10.3K

-26.37%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$32.55 ₱2,008

-58.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$30.25 ₱1,866

-38.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$34.57 ₱2,132

74.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.95 ₱428

30.50%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$82.6 ₱5,093

755.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$2,817 ₱173.7K

460.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$17.59 ₱1,085

232.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$29.42 ₱1,815

20.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$99.1 ₱6,113

16.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$93.1 ₱5,739

-10.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$122 ₱7,530

412.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$175 ₱10.8K

154.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$579 ₱35.7K

252.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$394 ₱24.3K

278.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$295 ₱18.2K

69.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.13

-34.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for San Pablo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $122 in San Pablo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 69% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in San Pablo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $179 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 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 69% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $122 in San Pablo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $82.6 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 $14.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $822 in San Pablo versus $1,250 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 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.