Cost of Living Comparison Between San Bernardino, CA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between San Bernardino, CA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,040 in San Bernardino, CA versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,426 in San Bernardino, CA versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,813 in San Bernardino, CA versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in San Bernardino, CA is roughly 143% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Bernardino, CA is 128% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.78 $19.78

$4.55 ฿153

334.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$46.18 ฿1,550

74.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.10 $15.10

$8.84 ฿297

70.81%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$3.06 ฿103

73.86%

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

$3.63 $3.63

$0.73 ฿24.36

397.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.40 ฿13.37

397.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.20 $7.20

$2.43 ฿81.6

196.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.78 ฿127

108.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.26 ฿75.8

-51.33%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 $4.11

$1.81 ฿60.8

127.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$2.25 ฿75.7

88.00%

Eggs

$5.94 $5.94

$2.25 ฿75.4

164.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 $10.67

$19.51 ฿655

-45.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.44 $13.44

$3.65 ฿122

268.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.05 ฿438

10.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.23 ฿109

5.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.62 ฿54.3

7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.38 ฿80.0

72.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.03 ฿68.0

167.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.53 ฿51.5

112.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.50 ฿50.4

88.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.98 ฿32.85

47.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$0.52 ฿17.36

305.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.01 $11.01

$4.44 ฿149

147.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.88 $12.88

$18.32 ฿615

-29.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.86 ฿62.6

6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 $5.73

$2.68 ฿90.0

113.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.41 ฿47.37

40.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.0 $58.0

$11.70 ฿393

395.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 $4.85

$3.11 ฿104

55.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.04 ฿35.00

312.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 $29.55

$14.11 ฿474

109.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.31 ฿44.02

-5.34%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

-9.73%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-25.79%

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

$251 $251

$122 ฿4,110

105.10%

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

$54.0 $54.0

$13.59 ฿456

297.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 $60.4

$18.70 ฿628

223.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.95 $39.95

$60.5 ฿2,031

-33.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿570

Cinema Ticket

$13.89 $13.89

$9.07 ฿305

53.14%

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

$1,167 $1,167

$706 ฿23.7K

65.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,999 $9,999

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-36.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$58.6 ฿1,965

-4.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 $34.15

$35.36 ฿1,187

-3.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$115 ฿3,876

-9.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$83.7 ฿2,811

22.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,902 $1,902

$626 ฿21.0K

204.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 $1,674

$445 ฿14.9K

275.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,523 $2,523

$2,040 ฿68.5K

23.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,743 $2,743

$1,492 ฿50.1K

83.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,580 $3,580

$3,483 ฿116.9K

2.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,573 $3,573

$2,577 ฿86.5K

38.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,458 $3,458

$500 ฿16.8K

591.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.58

5.33

23.45%

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

Last update for San Bernardino, CA: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,902 in San Bernardino, CA and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Bernardino, CA pays 592% 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: $81.0 in San Bernardino, CA vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $289 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

San Bernardino, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 143% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 592% higher in San Bernardino, CA, 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: $1,902 in San Bernardino, CA versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,167 in San Bernardino, CA versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in San Bernardino, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $3,040 in San Bernardino, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Bernardino, CA. 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 Bernardino, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Bernardino, CA and Phuket 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 143% less than in San Bernardino, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.