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 $846 in San Pablo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,261 in San Pablo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,675 in San Pablo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 50% more expensive than San Pablo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Pablo 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.92 ₱304

-4.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$14.03 ₱866

223.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.15 ₱194

167.62%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.86 ₱176

2.45%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.46 ₱28.20

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.28 ₱17.31

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.69 ₱42.72

249.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.09 ₱129

77.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.73 ₱107

28.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.89 ₱54.9

105.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.68 ₱41.86

219.12%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.02 ₱124

9.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$5.12 ₱316

285.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.81 ₱235

-4.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.28 ₱449

85.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$4.36 ₱269

-24.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.03 ₱63.7

56.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.24 ₱139

7.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.72 ₱106

20.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.45 ₱89.3

5.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.03 ₱63.6

43.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.88 ₱54.2

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.64 ₱39.67

-20.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.55 ₱158

72.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$6.60 ₱407

193.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.18 ₱72.9

50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.02 ₱125

34.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.28 ₱17.37

389.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.77 ₱47.73

292.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.24 ₱14.89

312.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.10 ₱130

571.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.09 ₱67.3

24.77%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$25.9K ₱1.6M

8.76%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.5K ₱1.3M

60.19%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$162 ₱9,967

-24.66%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$33.55 ₱2,070

-59.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$30.44 ₱1,878

-39.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$34.19 ₱2,110

76.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.18 ₱443

21.03%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$82.4 ₱5,087

741.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$2,784 ₱171.8K

463.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$17.32 ₱1,069

243.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$29.70 ₱1,832

17.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$97.3 ₱6,004

17.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$92.9 ₱5,732

-10.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$126 ₱7,774

386.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$180 ₱11.1K

143.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$577 ₱35.6K

262.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$397 ₱24.5K

279.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$290 ₱17.9K

74.98%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for San Pablo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $126 in San Pablo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 75% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in San Pablo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $180 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 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 75% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $126 in San Pablo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $82.4 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 $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $846 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 50% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.