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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,577 in San Rafael.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,395 in San Rafael.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,214 in San Rafael.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 22% less than in San Rafael, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, San Rafael is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$11.10 ₡5,056

-58.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$59.2 ₡26.9K

-20.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$10.00 ₡4,555

-11.60%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$3.73 ₡1,698

-19.57%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$1.99 ₡905

-62.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$1.64 ₡746

-77.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$2.90 ₡1,319

-15.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$4.55 ₡2,070

-20.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$1.95 ₡890

15.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$2.84 ₡1,295

-35.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$2.22 ₡1,012

0.90%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$2.92 ₡1,329

-20.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$9.93 ₡4,521

98.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$9.18 ₡4,183

-60.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$13.77 ₡6,274

-4.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$4.59 ₡2,090

-26.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$1.44 ₡656

13.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$4.20 ₡1,913

-42.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$3.55 ₡1,618

-42.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$3.39 ₡1,543

-53.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$3.12 ₡1,419

-51.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$0.97 ₡443

5.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$2.86 ₡1,301

-82.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.23 ₡2,381

-14.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$21.81 ₡9,936

-13.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$2.52 ₡1,148

-29.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$2.79 ₡1,273

-1.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

$1.02 ₡466

37.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$1.85 ₡842

68.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$1.86 ₡849

-46.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$7.76 ₡3,534

81.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$1.45 ₡663

-6.90%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$37.2K ₡17.0M

-26.95%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$32.5K ₡14.8M

1.23%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$92.7 ₡42.2K

34.89%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$26.11 ₡11.9K

-48.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$60.5 ₡27.6K

-69.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

$57.3 ₡26.1K

7.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$24.16 ₡11.0K

-30.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$9.86 ₡4,491

-6.80%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$575 ₡262.1K

21.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$12.9K ₡5.9M

21.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$61.6 ₡28.0K

-6.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$52.4 ₡23.9K

-32.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$127 ₡57.9K

-11.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$109 ₡49.8K

-21.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$779 ₡354.8K

-20.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$598 ₡272.5K

-25.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$1,526 ₡694.9K

34.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$972 ₡442.8K

53.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.17

-47.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for San Rafael: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $779 in San Rafael. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $59.0 in San Rafael for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $368 per month, with Phuket 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 Rafael: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $2,365 in San Rafael 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: $616 in Phuket versus $779 in San Rafael. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $575 in San Rafael. 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 $47.00 versus $59.0 in San Rafael. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,577 in San Rafael, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Rafael. 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 Rafael, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and San Rafael 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 Rafael. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.