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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,063 in San Felipe versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,694 in San Felipe versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,325 in San Felipe versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in San Felipe costs roughly 16% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Felipe 20% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.14 MX$124

$4.53 ฿153

57.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.98 MX$678

$46.36 ฿1,565

-15.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 MX$135

$8.65 ฿292

-10.52%

Cappuccino

$3.38 MX$58.8

$3.09 ฿104

9.39%

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

$1.23 MX$21.42

$0.68 ฿22.89

80.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.17

$0.37 ฿12.44

167.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 MX$40.66

$2.42 ฿81.6

-3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 MX$67.1

$3.81 ฿129

1.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.71

$2.18 ฿73.5

-34.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 MX$44.16

$1.82 ฿61.3

39.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.34

$2.18 ฿73.5

-27.98%

Eggs

$2.30 MX$40.00

$2.24 ฿75.4

2.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.81 MX$136

$19.93 ฿673

-60.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 MX$136

$3.64 ฿123

114.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.60 MX$184

$13.56 ฿458

-21.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 MX$45.04

$3.29 ฿111

-21.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.96

$1.69 ฿56.9

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.87

$2.33 ฿78.8

-24.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 MX$29.03

$2.03 ฿68.4

-17.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.89

$1.60 ฿54.0

18.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.14

$1.49 ฿50.5

35.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$20.77

$1.01 ฿34.17

17.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.72

$0.48 ฿16.09

112.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 MX$70.8

$4.45 ฿150

-8.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.33 MX$162

$18.63 ฿629

-49.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$27.96

$1.79 ฿60.3

-10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 MX$48.32

$2.80 ฿94.4

-0.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.19

$1.42 ฿47.90

-54.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 MX$45.26

$3.09 ฿104

-15.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 MX$27.51

$1.04 ฿35.19

51.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 MX$140

$13.63 ฿460

-40.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.12

$1.31 ฿44.23

-3.05%

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

$21.0K MX$364.8K

$27.3K ฿920.7K

-23.16%

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

$22.4K MX$389.4K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-32.64%

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

$55.7 MX$968

$123 ฿4,157

-54.81%

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

$22.46 MX$391

$13.81 ฿466

62.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.47 MX$495

$18.52 ฿625

53.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.13 MX$629

$60.4 ฿2,037

-40.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.91 MX$277

$16.80 ฿567

-5.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 MX$79.4

$8.89 ฿300

-48.71%

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

$203 MX$3,538

$687 ฿23.2K

-70.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,650 MX$63.5K

$15.6K ฿524.8K

-76.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 MX$928

$57.6 ฿1,945

-7.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.33 MX$684

$34.66 ฿1,170

13.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 MX$1,537

$115 ฿3,879

-23.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.7 MX$1,387

$84.9 ฿2,865

-6.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 MX$8,978

$618 ฿20.8K

-16.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,836

$443 ฿15.0K

-11.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 MX$16.5K

$2,047 ฿69.1K

-53.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 MX$13.0K

$1,506 ฿50.8K

-50.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,179 MX$37.9K

$3,568 ฿120.4K

-38.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,225 MX$21.3K

$2,511 ฿84.7K

-51.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

5.33

115.38%

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

Last update for San Felipe: July 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $516 in San Felipe and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in San Felipe vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $245 vs $292 per month, with San Felipe 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 Felipe vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Felipe is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,595 in San Felipe and $1,891 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $516 in San Felipe versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in San Felipe versus $687 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 Felipe – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,063 in San Felipe versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Felipe but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Felipe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Felipe 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 Felipe 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 Felipe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.