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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,616 in San Pedro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,741 in San Pedro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $3,866 in San Pedro.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 22% less than in San Pedro, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, San Pedro is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$9.51 BZD 19.02

-51.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,066

$30.22 BZD 60.5

6.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.9

$3.05 BZD 6.11

-4.92%

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

$0.84 ฿27.91

$1.41 BZD 2.81

-40.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.17

$1.54 BZD 3.09

-68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.1

$3.08 BZD 6.15

-19.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.89 BZD 7.79

-4.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$5.10 BZD 10.20

-62.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.58

$2.45 BZD 4.91

-42.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$5.36 BZD 10.72

-69.78%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.85 BZD 3.69

21.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$11.75 BZD 23.50

68.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$13.36 BZD 26.71

-73.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$10.62 BZD 21.24

7.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.9

$14.47 BZD 28.95

-79.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.12 BZD 2.23

53.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.2

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.5

$7.76 BZD 15.51

-72.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$6.52 BZD 13.04

-77.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.96

$3.78 BZD 7.56

-62.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.29

$1.23 BZD 2.46

-10.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.78

$1.84 BZD 3.67

-67.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$23.76 BZD 47.53

-21.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.6

$3.65 BZD 7.30

-50.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.1

$4.04 BZD 8.09

-26.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿103

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.59

$4.96 BZD 9.93

-78.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.20

$1.66 BZD 3.32

-13.86%

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

$27.8K ฿918.9K

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

$27.0K ฿892.4K

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

$105 ฿3,466

$171 BZD 343

-38.86%

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

$11.39 ฿377

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,797

$29.53 BZD 59.1

84.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

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

$576 ฿19.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿383.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,104

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿962

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,182

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,977

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$1,001 BZD 2,002

-26.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.6K

$747 BZD 1,494

-32.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.3K

$2,745 BZD 5,490

-22.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$1,984 BZD 3,969

-36.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.9K

$2,706 BZD 5,412

30.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.7K

$1,593 BZD 3,186

64.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for San Pedro: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $1,001 in San Pedro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in San Pedro. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $484, with Phuket 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 Pedro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $2,424 in San Pedro 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $1,001 in San Pedro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in San Pedro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $30.00 in San Pedro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,616 in San Pedro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Pedro. 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 Pedro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and San Pedro 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 28% less than in San Pedro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.