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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $710 in San Pedro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,068 in San Pedro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,425 in San Pedro.

Living in Phuket is roughly 73% more expensive than in San Pedro, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, San Pedro 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.02 ₱252

9.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$16.37 ₱1,029

97.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$2.87 ₱180

211.15%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$1.79 ₱113

62.01%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.56 ₱35.31

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.34 ₱21.08

41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$0.98 ₱61.4

139.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.56 ₱98.2

138.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.67 ₱105

11.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.15 ₱72.1

27.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.94 ₱59.3

64.89%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.01 ₱126

4.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$4.99 ₱314

292.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.43 ₱215

-0.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$6.80 ₱427

67.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.31 ₱145

29.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.61 ₱101

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.38 ₱149

-7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.02 ₱64.0

111.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.73 ₱109

-12.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.72 ₱108

-22.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.62 ₱39.15

82.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.49 ₱30.85

12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.96 ₱186

43.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.82 ₱554

116.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$0.99 ₱61.9

79.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.09 ₱131

33.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.22 ₱13.94

913.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$11.91 ₱749

90.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.82 ₱51.4

269.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.21 ₱13.15

385.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.96 ₱123

98.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.20 ₱75.2

24.17%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$21.6K ₱1.4M

23.16%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$18.8K ₱1.2M

43.41%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$124 ₱7,801

-17.48%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$15.32 ₱963

-26.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$23.32 ₱1,465

-25.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$28.65 ₱1,800

81.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$5.22 ₱328

112.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.05 ₱318

52.28%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$133 ₱8,347

321.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$8,826 ₱554.5K

30.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$28.74 ₱1,806

119.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$19.14 ₱1,203

54.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$72.8 ₱4,571

34.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$56.1 ₱3,526

57.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$260 ₱16.3K

183.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$181 ₱11.4K

166.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$445 ₱27.9K

373.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$313 ₱19.7K

291.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$2,714 ₱170.5K

33.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,144 ₱71.9K

127.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$306 ₱19.2K

61.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for San Pedro: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $260 in San Pedro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 61% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in San Pedro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $172 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 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $260 in San Pedro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $133 in San Pedro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $710 in San Pedro versus $1,232 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 73% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.