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: $2,851 in San Bernardino, CA versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,323 in San Bernardino, CA versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,794 in San Bernardino, CA versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in San Bernardino, CA is roughly 128% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Bernardino, CA is 108% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 $19.64

$4.56 ฿152

330.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 $63.7

$32.62 ฿1,086

95.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.13 $15.13

$8.90 ฿296

70.00%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$2.80 ฿93.4

116.79%

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

$3.79 $3.79

$0.88 ฿29.31

330.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$0.49 ฿16.29

528.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 $7.12

$2.39 ฿79.5

197.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$3.71 ฿124

116.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.79 ฿59.5

-43.02%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.44 ฿48.00

186.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.58 ฿52.8

72.15%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$2.13 ฿70.8

132.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$19.92 ฿663

-52.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.70 $14.70

$3.43 ฿114

328.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 $13.42

$11.33 ฿377

18.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.95 ฿98.2

5.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.72 ฿57.3

8.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.32 ฿77.4

-4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.08 ฿69.3

6.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.47 ฿48.96

19.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.36 ฿45.22

30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.10 ฿36.59

19.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.57 ฿19.13

215.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.89 $11.89

$4.27 ฿142

178.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.83 $12.83

$18.42 ฿613

-30.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.87 ฿62.3

14.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.92 ฿97.3

44.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.22 ฿73.9

-8.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.0 $59.0

$22.90 ฿762

157.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.03 ฿101

-4.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.07 ฿35.77

127.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.2 $60.2

$3.93 ฿131

1431.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.49 ฿49.68

-12.75%

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

$33.4K $33.4K

$27.1K ฿903.4K

23.18%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$27.5K ฿914.1K

-9.13%

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

$235 $235

$103 ฿3,423

128.89%

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

$60.0 $60.0

$10.99 ฿366

445.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$17.51 ฿583

303.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.64 $40.64

$53.5 ฿1,783

-24.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 $12.80

$7.48 ฿249

71.12%

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

$1,150 $1,150

$557 ฿18.5K

106.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K $17.4K

$11.9K ฿394.7K

47.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.8 $86.8

$64.1 ฿2,134

35.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.17 $45.17

$29.07 ฿968

55.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 $81.1

$96.0 ฿3,195

-15.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$213 $213

$90.3 ฿3,008

135.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,798 $1,798

$730 ฿24.3K

146.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 $1,475

$500 ฿16.6K

195.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 $2,566

$2,090 ฿69.6K

22.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 $2,751

$1,209 ฿40.3K

127.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,575 $3,575

$3,596 ฿119.7K

-0.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,662 $3,662

$2,512 ฿83.7K

45.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,394 $3,394

$503 ฿16.8K

574.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

5.57

12.03%

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

Last update for San Bernardino, CA: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,798 in San Bernardino, CA and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Bernardino, CA pays 574% 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: $64.0 in San Bernardino, CA vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $273 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 Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 128% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 574% 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: $1,798 in San Bernardino, CA versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,150 in San Bernardino, CA versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in San Bernardino, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,851 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 128% less than in San Bernardino, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.