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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $810 in San Pedro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,247 in San Pedro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,684 in San Pedro.

Living in Phuket is roughly 54% more expensive than in San Pedro, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, San Pedro 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.65 ₱287

-2.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$21.04 ₱1,298

119.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$3.12 ₱193

183.33%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.66 ₱164

15.04%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.90 ₱55.7

-18.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.37 ₱22.83

8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.25 ₱77.2

94.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.65 ₱163

42.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.97 ₱122

14.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.25 ₱77.0

44.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.09 ₱67.2

106.42%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.95 ₱120

15.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.88 ₱424

183.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.37 ₱270

-16.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.03 ₱434

85.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.43 ₱212

-5.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.54 ₱95.2

5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.89 ₱178

-17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.62 ₱100.0

25.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.67 ₱165

-42.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.16 ₱195

-52.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.58 ₱97.5

-37.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.69 ₱42.80

-24.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.22 ₱199

37.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.87 ₱547

106.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.47 ₱90.6

26.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.99 ₱122

34.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.28 ₱17.41

403.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.83 ₱51.1

274.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.24 ₱14.81

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.08 ₱129

578.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.13 ₱69.8

15.93%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$26.2K ₱1.6M

6.14%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.5K ₱1.3M

62.37%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$138 ₱8,503

-11.20%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$21.86 ₱1,348

-37.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$28.00 ₱1,727

-33.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$34.25 ₱2,112

76.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$4.54 ₱280

274.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.77 ₱418

33.97%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$80.0 ₱4,936

782.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$2,812 ₱173.4K

462.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$32.12 ₱1,981

82.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$29.94 ₱1,847

18.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$83.4 ₱5,145

38.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$47.17 ₱2,909

77.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$270 ₱16.7K

131.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$175 ₱10.8K

154.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$576 ₱35.5K

254.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$393 ₱24.3K

279.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,522 ₱155.6K

38.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$853 ₱52.6K

201.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$306 ₱18.9K

63.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.52

-29.12%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for San Pedro: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $270 in San Pedro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 63% 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 $21.00 in San Pedro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $212 per month, with San Pedro 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 Pedro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Pedro is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 63% 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 $270 in San Pedro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $80.0 in San Pedro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Pedro – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $810 in San Pedro versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Pedro but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Pedro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Pedro 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 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 San Pedro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.