Cost of Living Comparison Between San Bernardo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between San Bernardo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in San Bernardo versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,448 in San Bernardo versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,972 in San Bernardo versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in San Bernardo costs roughly 25% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Bernardo 32% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 CLP 7,647

$4.41 ฿147

81.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.45 CLP 25.2K

$32.26 ฿1,077

-18.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.98 CLP 6,657

$8.93 ฿298

-21.84%

Cappuccino

$2.65 CLP 2,533

$2.90 ฿96.6

-8.62%

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

$0.99 CLP 949

$0.88 ฿29.38

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 CLP 1,020

$0.48 ฿16.06

122.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.20 CLP 4,010

$2.35 ฿78.5

78.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 CLP 4,504

$3.72 ฿124

26.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 CLP 1,086

$1.87 ฿62.3

-39.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 CLP 1,219

$1.47 ฿48.94

-12.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 CLP 1,560

$1.55 ฿51.8

5.16%

Eggs

$4.08 CLP 3,895

$2.10 ฿70.1

94.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.42 CLP 10.9K

$19.59 ฿654

-41.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 CLP 4,308

$3.42 ฿114

31.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.98 CLP 10.5K

$11.38 ฿380

-3.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 CLP 1,809

$2.98 ฿99.6

-36.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,516

$1.68 ฿56.2

-5.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 CLP 1,407

$2.21 ฿73.7

-33.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 CLP 1,688

$2.16 ฿72.1

-18.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 CLP 840

$1.52 ฿50.9

-42.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 CLP 764

$1.34 ฿44.67

-40.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 CLP 1,188

$1.13 ฿37.67

10.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 CLP 1,081

$0.55 ฿18.24

105.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 CLP 3,164

$4.26 ฿142

-22.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 CLP 5,810

$19.09 ฿637

-68.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 CLP 1,540

$1.78 ฿59.4

-9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CLP 2,405

$2.78 ฿92.9

-9.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 CLP 776

$2.23 ฿74.4

-63.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 CLP 389

$3.03 ฿101

-86.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 CLP 886

$1.02 ฿34.15

-8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.80 CLP 11.3K

$3.89 ฿130

203.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CLP 1,301

$1.49 ฿49.77

-8.72%

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

$18.4K CLP 17.5M

$26.6K ฿887.3K

-30.91%

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

$21.7K CLP 20.7M

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-19.80%

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

$125 CLP 118.9K

$102 ฿3,420

21.61%

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

$12.48 CLP 11.9K

$11.33 ฿378

10.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.51 CLP 15.8K

$17.40 ฿581

-5.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.41 CLP 19.5K

$52.1 ฿1,738

-60.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 CLP 7,320

$7.69 ฿257

-0.26%

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

$447 CLP 426.9K

$561 ฿18.7K

-20.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K CLP 10.6M

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-3.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.13 CLP 35.4K

$63.0 ฿2,104

-41.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.27 CLP 26.0K

$29.52 ฿986

-7.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 CLP 65.1K

$98.0 ฿3,272

-30.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.1 CLP 78.4K

$88.5 ฿2,954

-7.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 CLP 265.8K

$738 ฿24.6K

-62.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 CLP 244.0K

$482 ฿16.1K

-46.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 CLP 683.3K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-66.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 CLP 526.7K

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-54.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,925 CLP 1.8M

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-46.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,417 CLP 1.4M

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-45.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,347 CLP 1.3M

$494 ฿16.5K

172.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

5.57

-3.23%

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

Last update for San Bernardo: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $279 in San Bernardo and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Bernardo pays 173% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in San Bernardo vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $274 per month, with San Bernardo 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 Bernardo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Bernardo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 173% higher in San Bernardo, 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: $279 in San Bernardo versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $447 in San Bernardo versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Bernardo – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $925 in San Bernardo versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Bernardo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Bernardo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Bernardo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Bernardo 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 San Bernardo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.