🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,862 in San Sebastian.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,794 in San Sebastian.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,725 in San Sebastian.
🙂Living in Phuket costs roughly 34% less than in San Sebastian, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, San Sebastian is 39% above.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
San Sebastian
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63฿151
$16.89€14.45
-72.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84฿1,532
$57.7€49.40
-18.84%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.84฿289
$9.94€8.51
-11.07%
Cappuccino
$3.00฿98.0
$2.27€1.94
32.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74฿24.25
$2.71€2.32
-72.69%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.95
$2.09€1.79
-82.30%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.44฿79.8
$3.40€2.91
-28.24%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61฿118
$2.34€2.00
54.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
San Sebastian
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$2.26฿73.9
$1.17€1.00
93.16%
White Bread(500g)
$1.84฿60.1
$1.06€0.91
73.58%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24฿73.4
$2.09€1.79
7.18%
Eggs
$2.32฿75.7
$2.68€2.29
-13.43%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.67฿643
$19.60€16.77
0.36%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65฿119
$7.12€6.10
-48.74%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.10฿428
$14.99€12.83
-12.61%
Apples(1kg)
$3.39฿111
$2.85€2.44
18.95%
Banana(1kg)
$1.64฿53.7
$2.24€1.92
-26.79%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41฿79.0
$1.90€1.63
26.84%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.03฿66.4
$3.25€2.79
-37.54%
Potato(1kg)
$1.56฿50.9
$1.81€1.55
-13.81%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50฿48.94
$1.81€1.55
-17.13%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.02฿33.50
$1.01€0.86
0.99%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49฿16.00
$0.68€0.58
-27.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45฿145
$6.33€5.42
-29.70%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.88฿617
$7.29€6.24
158.98%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78฿58.1
$1.20€1.03
48.33%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75฿90.1
$2.15€1.84
27.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
San Sebastian
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.40฿45.81
$2.20€1.88
-36.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.48฿376
$37.50€32.10
-69.39%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.12฿102
$7.32€6.26
-57.38%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.00฿32.67
$1.00€0.86
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.09฿461
$23.02€19.70
-38.79%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.35฿44.19
$1.73€1.48
-21.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K฿888.9K
$38.8K€33.2K
-29.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K฿1.1M
$35.6K€30.5K
-7.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
San Sebastian
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$125฿4,087
$135€116
-7.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57฿444
$26.86€22.99
-49.48%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52฿606
$37.18€31.83
-50.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
San Sebastian
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.5฿2,010
$53.3€45.60
15.41%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84฿551
$20.39€17.46
-17.41%
Cinema Ticket
$9.19฿300
$9.15€7.83
0.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
San Sebastian
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$698฿22.8K
$458€392
52.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.6K฿509.9K
$11.7K€10.0K
33.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
San Sebastian
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8฿1,889
$115€98.3
-49.70%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24฿1,152
$36.49€31.24
-3.43%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$113฿3,699
$88.6€75.8
27.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4฿2,825
$86.9€74.4
-0.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
San Sebastian
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$616฿20.1K
$1,285€1,100
-52.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$446฿14.6K
$874€748
-48.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,048฿67.0K
$2,121€1,815
-3.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,492฿48.8K
$1,403€1,201
6.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,779฿123.6K
$10.1K€8,658
-62.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,649฿86.6K
$4,600€3,938
-42.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
San Sebastian
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$524฿17.1K
$3,036€2,599
-82.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
3.5
52.29%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Phuket: April 27, 2026
Última actualización para San Sebastian: April 28, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $1,285 in San Sebastian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰San Sebastian pays 480% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $58.0 in San Sebastian. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $279, with San Sebastian cheaper for home cooking.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Phuket vs San Sebastian: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Is San Sebastian cheaper than Phuket?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or San Sebastian?
On paper, San Sebastian earns 480% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and San Sebastian?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $1,285 in San Sebastian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $458 in San Sebastian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and San Sebastian?
Shoppers in San Sebastian pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or San Sebastian?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,862 in San Sebastian, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Sebastian. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or San Sebastian more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in San Sebastian, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or San Sebastian?
Safety-wise, Phuket and San Sebastian are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in San Sebastian. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.