Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Pawl Il-bahar Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Pawl Il-bahar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,734 in San Pawl Il-bahar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,623 in San Pawl Il-bahar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,511 in San Pawl Il-bahar.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 27% less than in San Pawl Il-bahar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, San Pawl Il-bahar is 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$20.55 €17.69

-77.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$78.5 €67.6

-42.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$10.80 €9.30

-21.94%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.53 €2.18

15.81%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$3.06 €2.64

-77.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$2.28 €1.97

-83.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$4.27 €3.67

-43.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.48 €3.86

-16.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.40 €1.20

59.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.24 €1.07

47.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$2.54 €2.19

-14.57%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$3.61 €3.11

-38.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.96 €8.58

98.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$8.12 €6.99

-55.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.88 €8.51

36.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.04 €2.62

7.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.10 €1.81

-23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.09 €2.66

-22.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.97 €2.55

-29.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.58 €1.36

-3.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.35 €1.17

9.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.25 €1.08

-20.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.23 €1.06

-58.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$6.62 €5.70

-33.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.30 €7.15

133.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.57 €1.35

13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.99 €1.71

36.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$2.93 €2.53

-53.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$5.95 €5.13

-49.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$2.62 €2.26

-62.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$48.29 €41.59

-70.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.52 €1.31

-10.53%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$39.5K €34.0K

-28.62%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$38.4K €33.1K

-14.30%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$67.3 €58.0

80.75%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$20.07 €17.28

-32.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$43.02 €37.05

-57.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$63.2 €54.5

-4.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$22.75 €19.59

-24.66%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$10.36 €8.92

-16.12%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$422 €363

64.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$11.1K €9,553

41.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$70.0 €60.3

-14.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$28.11 €24.21

23.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$93.5 €80.5

22.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$93.4 €80.5

-10.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$960 €826

-36.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$807 €695

-45.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,532 €1,319

36.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,292 €1,112

16.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$3,608 €3,106

3.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$3,058 €2,633

-14.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,750 €1,507

-70.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.28

62.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for San Pawl Il-bahar: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $960 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Pawl Il-bahar pays 244% 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 $79.0 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $262, with San Pawl Il-bahar cheaper for home cooking.

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 Pawl Il-bahar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, San Pawl Il-bahar earns 244% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $960 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $422 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $79.0 in San Pawl Il-bahar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,734 in San Pawl Il-bahar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Pawl Il-bahar. 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 Pawl Il-bahar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and San Pawl Il-bahar 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 37% less than in San Pawl Il-bahar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.