Cost of Living Comparison Between Samut Prakan and San Pablo Cost of Living Comparison Between Samut Prakan and San Pablo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $812 per month in Samut Prakan vs $846 in San Pablo, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,421 per month in Samut Prakan vs $1,261 in San Pablo, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,030 per month in Samut Prakan vs $1,675 in San Pablo, rent included.

Samut Prakan is about 4% cheaper than San Pablo, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Samut Prakan and San Pablo are more affordable than the global median – Samut Prakan 39% lower, San Pablo 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ฿99.7

$4.92 ₱304

-38.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.28 ฿499

$14.03 ₱866

8.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 ฿252

$3.15 ₱194

145.08%

Cappuccino

$1.31 ฿42.91

$2.86 ₱176

-54.20%

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

$0.62 ฿20.38

$0.46 ₱28.20

34.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.63

$0.28 ₱17.31

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.69 ₱42.72

166.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿124

$2.09 ₱129

82.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.89

$1.73 ₱107

-17.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ฿33.07

$0.89 ₱54.9

13.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 ฿36.52

$0.68 ₱41.86

64.71%

Eggs

$1.80 ฿58.8

$2.02 ₱124

-10.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 ฿439

$5.12 ₱316

162.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.83 ฿92.5

$3.81 ₱235

-25.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 ฿352

$7.28 ₱449

47.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$4.36 ₱269

-58.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 ฿24.66

$1.03 ₱63.7

-27.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 ฿59.2

$2.24 ₱139

-19.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 ฿44.89

$1.72 ₱106

-20.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$1.45 ₱89.3

12.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿35.99

$1.03 ₱63.6

6.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ฿25.61

$0.88 ₱54.2

-11.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ฿13.93

$0.64 ₱39.67

-32.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 ฿155

$2.55 ₱158

86.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.09 ฿395

$6.60 ₱407

83.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 ฿49.42

$1.18 ₱72.9

27.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.02 ₱125

9.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 ฿16.90

$0.28 ₱17.37

85.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.10 ฿1,017

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 ฿36.29

$0.77 ₱47.73

44.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 ฿23.18

$0.24 ₱14.89

195.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 ฿172

$2.10 ₱130

150.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.19

$1.09 ₱67.3

18.35%

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

$12.3K ฿402.9K

$25.9K ₱1.6M

-52.47%

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

$21.1K ฿689.5K

$20.5K ₱1.3M

2.69%

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

$73.2 ฿2,392

$162 ₱9,967

-54.69%

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

$10.91 ฿357

$33.55 ₱2,070

-67.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿559

$30.44 ₱1,878

-43.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.92 ฿1,534

$34.19 ₱2,110

37.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.05 ฿394

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 ฿198

$7.18 ₱443

-15.46%

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

$383 ฿12.5K

$82.4 ₱5,087

364.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,856 ฿224.1K

$2,784 ₱171.8K

146.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.33 ฿632

$17.32 ₱1,069

11.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.17 ฿1,117

$29.70 ₱1,832

15.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.4 ฿2,006

$97.3 ₱6,004

-36.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ฿1,895

$92.9 ₱5,732

-37.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$486 ฿15.9K

$126 ₱7,774

286.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 ฿8,013

$180 ₱11.1K

36.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 ฿26.2K

$577 ₱35.6K

39.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$832 ฿27.2K

$397 ₱24.5K

109.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,755 ฿57.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,487 ฿48.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$651 ฿21.3K

$290 ₱17.9K

124.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.13

-63.10%

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

Last update for Samut Prakan: May 31, 2026

Last update for San Pablo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $486 in Samut Prakan versus $126 in San Pablo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 124% higher in Samut Prakan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Samut Prakan versus $14.00 in San Pablo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $180 – making San Pablo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Samut Prakan vs San Pablo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $812 in Samut Prakan, $846 in San Pablo – roughly 4% apart. San Pablo costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,218 per month in Samut Prakan and $1,269 in San Pablo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samut Prakan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $812 in Samut Prakan and $846 in San Pablo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $383 per month in Samut Prakan and $82.4 in San Pablo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Samut Prakan, where all-in costs run around $812, than in San Pablo at $846. In Samut Prakan it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Pablo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Samut Prakan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Samut Prakan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Pablo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.