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: $1,133 in San Bernardo versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,747 in San Bernardo versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,360 in San Bernardo versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in San Bernardo costs roughly 8% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Bernardo 15% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.65 CLP 9,538

$4.63 ฿151

130.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 CLP 48.0K

$46.84 ฿1,523

14.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.39 CLP 7,514

$8.84 ฿287

-5.09%

Cappuccino

$3.29 CLP 2,948

$3.00 ฿97.4

9.67%

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

$0.87 CLP 783

$0.74 ฿24.11

17.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 CLP 1,172

$0.37 ฿11.88

254.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 CLP 2,975

$2.44 ฿79.3

36.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 CLP 3,940

$3.61 ฿117

21.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 CLP 1,038

$2.26 ฿73.5

-48.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 CLP 1,355

$1.84 ฿59.8

-17.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 CLP 1,866

$2.24 ฿73.0

-7.14%

Eggs

$4.10 CLP 3,676

$2.32 ฿75.3

76.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 CLP 9,435

$19.67 ฿639

-46.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 CLP 6,068

$3.65 ฿119

85.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 CLP 9,873

$13.10 ฿426

-15.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 CLP 1,792

$3.39 ฿110

-41.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 CLP 1,400

$1.64 ฿53.4

-4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 CLP 1,887

$2.41 ฿78.5

-12.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 CLP 1,727

$2.03 ฿66.0

-4.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CLP 1,669

$1.56 ฿50.6

19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,518

$1.50 ฿48.66

12.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 CLP 1,208

$1.02 ฿33.30

32.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,096

$0.49 ฿15.91

148.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 CLP 3,006

$4.45 ฿145

-24.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.80 CLP 6,092

$18.88 ฿614

-63.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CLP 1,375

$1.78 ฿57.7

-13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 CLP 2,326

$2.75 ฿89.5

-5.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 CLP 564

$1.40 ฿45.54

-55.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 CLP 454

$3.12 ฿101

-83.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CLP 1,255

$1.00 ฿32.48

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.40 CLP 10.2K

$14.09 ฿458

-19.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CLP 1,276

$1.35 ฿43.93

5.19%

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

$19.3K CLP 17.3M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-28.96%

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

$22.3K CLP 20.0M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-32.28%

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

$130 CLP 116.3K

$125 ฿4,063

3.86%

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

$13.51 CLP 12.1K

$13.57 ฿441

-0.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.15 CLP 19.8K

$18.52 ฿602

19.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.06 CLP 34.1K

$61.5 ฿1,999

-38.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.01 CLP 18.8K

$16.84 ฿547

24.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 CLP 5,634

$9.19 ฿299

-31.56%

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

$440 CLP 393.7K

$698 ฿22.7K

-37.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,722 CLP 7.8M

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-44.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 CLP 49.2K

$57.8 ฿1,878

-4.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.33 CLP 29.0K

$35.24 ฿1,146

-8.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 CLP 69.1K

$113 ฿3,677

-31.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 CLP 74.6K

$86.4 ฿2,808

-3.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$472 CLP 422.9K

$616 ฿20.0K

-23.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 CLP 334.2K

$446 ฿14.5K

-16.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 CLP 795.0K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-56.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 CLP 532.3K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-60.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,050 CLP 1.8M

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-45.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 CLP 1.4M

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-42.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,382 CLP 1.2M

$524 ฿17.0K

163.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

5.33

-2.81%

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

Last update for San Bernardo: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $472 in San Bernardo and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Bernardo pays 164% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in San Bernardo vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $292, with San Bernardo cheaper for home cooking.

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 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

San Bernardo pays 164% more on average, 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: $472 in San Bernardo versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $440 in San Bernardo versus $698 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 $54.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,133 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 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.