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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,496 in San Salvador.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $2,165 in San Salvador.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,834 in San Salvador.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 16% less than in San Salvador, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, San Salvador is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿152

$8.19 $8.19

-44.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,558

$34.70 $34.70

33.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$6.94 $6.94

24.64%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$3.28 $3.28

-5.79%

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

$0.68 ฿22.79

$1.14 $1.14

-40.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.38

$0.87 $0.87

-57.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.2

$2.03 $2.03

19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$2.92 $2.92

30.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.2

$1.83 $1.83

19.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.1

$2.02 $2.02

-9.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.2

$1.48 $1.48

47.30%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.1

$2.80 $2.80

-20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿670

$6.94 $6.94

187.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿122

$6.89 $6.89

-47.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿456

$10.66 $10.66

27.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$3.16 $3.16

4.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$1.67 $1.67

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.4

$2.61 $2.61

-10.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.70 $2.70

-24.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$2.13 $2.13

-24.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$2.09 $2.09

-28.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.02

$1.01 $1.01

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.02

$1.03 $1.03

-53.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$4.04 $4.04

10.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿626

$12.05 $12.05

54.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.0

$1.74 $1.74

2.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.0

$2.53 $2.53

10.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.69

$0.36 $0.36

294.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿381

$24.75 $24.75

-54.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$5.64 $5.64

-45.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.03

$3.11 $3.11

-66.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿458

$20.10 $20.10

-32.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.03

$1.00 $1.00

31.00%

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

$27.3K ฿916.6K

$25.5K $25.5K

6.79%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.7K $27.7K

20.07%

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

$123 ฿4,138

$104 $104

18.75%

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

$13.81 ฿464

$18.77 $18.77

-26.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿622

$42.26 $42.26

-56.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,028

$31.79 $31.79

89.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿564

$19.75 $19.75

-14.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$5.24 $5.24

69.66%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$143 $143

379.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿522.5K

$6,050 $6,050

157.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,936

$67.0 $67.0

-13.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,165

$43.31 $43.31

-19.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,861

$114 $114

0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,853

$104 $104

-18.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.7K

$829 $829

-25.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$703 $703

-36.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿68.8K

$1,445 $1,445

41.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.6K

$1,083 $1,083

39.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿119.9K

$2,769 $2,769

28.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.4K

$1,843 $1,843

36.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$380 $380

32.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.58

-37.88%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for San Salvador: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $829 in San Salvador. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in San Salvador for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $257 per month, with San Salvador 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 Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% 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: $618 in Phuket versus $829 in San Salvador. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $143 in San Salvador. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in San Salvador pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,496 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 19% less than in San Salvador. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.