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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,647 in San Salvador.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,459 in San Salvador.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $3,272 in San Salvador.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 23% less than in San Salvador, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, San Salvador is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$6.93 $6.93

-32.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$43.17 $43.17

-25.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.86 $6.86

26.53%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.61 $3.61

-19.67%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.15 $1.15

-26.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.84 $0.84

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.05 $2.05

20.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.52 $3.52

5.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.79 $1.79

5.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$2.82 $2.82

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.39 $1.39

16.55%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.11 $3.11

-27.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$7.64 $7.64

159.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.80 $6.80

-48.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$10.06 $10.06

13.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$5.17 $5.17

-43.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.48 $1.48

16.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.87 $2.87

-20.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$3.55 $3.55

-40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.90 $2.90

-49.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$3.35 $3.35

-57.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.96 $0.96

14.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.93 $0.93

-35.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.99 $3.99

8.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$11.92 $11.92

56.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.27 $2.27

-20.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.85 $2.85

4.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.33 $0.33

581.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$37.84 $37.84

-37.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$5.92 $5.92

-47.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.98 $2.98

-63.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$19.69 $19.69

-80.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.17 $1.17

22.22%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$25.4K $25.4K

9.23%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

-0.42%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$131 $131

-20.01%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$21.19 $21.19

-46.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$42.39 $42.39

-58.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$32.01 $32.01

69.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$21.78 $21.78

-47.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.86 $4.86

60.08%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$162 $162

255.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$4,682 $4,682

147.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$67.0 $67.0

-4.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$46.89 $46.89

-37.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$118 $118

-18.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$117 $117

-22.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$905 $905

-18.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$775 $775

-35.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,782 $1,782

19.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$1,375 $1,375

-8.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,731 $2,731

29.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,853 $1,853

41.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$382 $382

32.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.5

-34.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for San Salvador: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $905 in San Salvador. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in San Salvador for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $287 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 Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $905 in San Salvador. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $162 in San Salvador. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in San Salvador. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,647 in San Salvador, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Salvador. 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 Salvador, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and San Salvador 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 30% less than in San Salvador. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.