Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Dimas, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,463 in San Dimas, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in San Dimas, CA
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San Dimas, CA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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San Dimas, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,463

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Dimas, CA and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Dimas, CA and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,463 in San Dimas, CA versus $1,208 in Phuket.

San Dimas, CA $2,463
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,607 in San Dimas, CA versus $2,027 in Phuket.

San Dimas, CA $3,607
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,750 in San Dimas, CA versus $2,845 in Phuket.

San Dimas, CA $4,750
Phuket $2,845

Living in San Dimas, CA is roughly 104% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Dimas, CA is 82% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.90 $11.90

$4.40 ฿147

170.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 $49.37

$32.26 ฿1,078

53.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.76 ฿293

1.37%

Cappuccino

$5.85 $5.85

$2.83 ฿94.5

106.71%

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

$3.52 $3.52

$0.90 ฿30.14

291.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.47 ฿15.56

423.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.59 $7.59

$2.55 ฿85.2

197.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.21 $8.21

$3.83 ฿128

114.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.73 ฿57.7

-36.99%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.47 ฿49.11

176.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$1.51 ฿50.6

217.88%

Eggs

$4.61 $4.61

$2.17 ฿72.7

112.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 $12.96

$19.70 ฿658

-34.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.43 $20.43

$3.34 ฿112

511.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.16 $15.16

$11.16 ฿373

35.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.85 ฿95.1

72.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.70 ฿56.9

-1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$2.19 ฿73.3

152.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.85 $5.85

$2.05 ฿68.4

185.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$1.45 ฿48.57

159.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.38 ฿46.16

60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.07 ฿35.69

85.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$0.51 ฿16.91

260.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.65 $11.65

$4.26 ฿142

173.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 $15.16

$18.58 ฿621

-18.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.78 ฿59.7

11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.85 ฿95.2

48.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.26 ฿75.6

-24.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 $6.15

$3.01 ฿101

104.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.06 ฿35.34

66.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.08 $26.08

$3.86 ฿129

575.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.45 ฿48.45

7.59%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

9.81%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-0.85%

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

$167 $167

$96.4 ฿3,221

72.86%

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

$67.9 $67.9

$11.04 ฿369

515.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 $59.7

$17.14 ฿573

248.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$52.2 ฿1,744

-19.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$14.89 $14.89

$7.81 ฿261

90.65%

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

$1,935 $1,935

$556 ฿18.6K

248.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.1K $26.1K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

125.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 $57.6

$64.2 ฿2,146

-10.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.34 $39.34

$28.69 ฿959

37.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 $93.9

$95.4 ฿3,187

-1.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$88.0 ฿2,940

66.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 $1,616

$737 ฿24.6K

119.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 $1,197

$462 ฿15.5K

159.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,554 $2,554

$2,095 ฿70.0K

21.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 $2,036

$1,201 ฿40.1K

69.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-22.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,449 $2,449

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-2.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,063 $4,063

$501 ฿16.7K

711.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

5.57

14.72%

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

Last update for San Dimas, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

San Dimas, CA

$1.2K 48.6%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 61.4% $735

Groceries & Markets

San Dimas, CA

$456 18.5%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 41.1% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Dimas, CA

$294 11.9%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 57.7% $170

Eating Out

San Dimas, CA

$270 11%

Phuket

$121 10% 55.1% $149

Clothing & Footwear

San Dimas, CA

$152 6.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 18% $27

Sport & Entertainment

San Dimas, CA

$72 2.9%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 5.4% $3.8

Getting Around

San Dimas, CA

$22 * 0.9%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 80.9% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,616 in San Dimas, CA and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Dimas, CA pays 711% 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: $49.00 in San Dimas, CA vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $456 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Dimas, CA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:57 12:57 PM

02:57 2:57 AM

14 h ahead of San Dimas, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,714

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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San Dimas, CA Phuket 13,990 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

San Dimas, CA
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 711% higher in San Dimas, 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: $1,616 in San Dimas, CA versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,935 in San Dimas, CA versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $49.00 in San Dimas, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,463 in San Dimas, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Dimas, 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 Dimas, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Dimas, 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 104% less than in San Dimas, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.