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: $1,089 in San Felipe versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,739 in San Felipe versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,390 in San Felipe versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in San Felipe costs roughly 14% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Felipe 19% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.07 MX$123

$4.70 ฿154

50.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.72 MX$694

$45.37 ฿1,489

-12.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 MX$139

$8.43 ฿277

-5.81%

Cappuccino

$3.23 MX$56.5

$2.93 ฿96.1

10.24%

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

$1.24 MX$21.73

$0.69 ฿22.50

79.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.04

$0.37 ฿12.04

164.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 MX$40.55

$2.41 ฿79.0

-3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 MX$69.1

$3.72 ฿122

6.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$26.14

$2.23 ฿73.3

-32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 MX$45.14

$1.83 ฿60.1

40.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.43

$2.17 ฿71.1

-27.65%

Eggs

$2.29 MX$40.07

$2.21 ฿72.6

3.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MX$143

$19.74 ฿648

-58.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$138

$3.63 ฿119

117.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 MX$186

$13.53 ฿444

-21.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 MX$46.80

$3.28 ฿108

-18.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.42

$1.61 ฿52.9

-13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.27

$2.41 ฿79.0

-25.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.09

$2.08 ฿68.4

-22.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.33

$1.53 ฿50.2

20.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.17

$1.48 ฿48.58

35.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 MX$22.02

$0.99 ฿32.44

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.99

$0.51 ฿16.74

101.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.7

$4.41 ฿145

-4.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.63 MX$203

$19.38 ฿636

-39.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$27.93

$1.78 ฿58.4

-10.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MX$49.87

$2.71 ฿89.0

5.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.42

$1.37 ฿44.99

-52.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 MX$46.16

$3.02 ฿99.1

-12.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 MX$26.83

$0.99 ฿32.63

55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 MX$144

$14.10 ฿463

-41.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.33

$1.36 ฿44.71

-5.88%

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

$21.2K MX$370.3K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

-24.82%

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

$22.5K MX$392.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-31.70%

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

$56.6 MX$989

$122 ฿3,993

-53.48%

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

$21.87 MX$382

$13.57 ฿445

61.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.67 MX$501

$18.31 ฿601

56.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.07 MX$630

$60.2 ฿1,976

-40.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.61 MX$273

$17.14 ฿562

-8.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.66 MX$81.3

$8.69 ฿285

-46.38%

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

$207 MX$3,611

$693 ฿22.8K

-70.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,628 MX$63.4K

$15.7K ฿514.7K

-76.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 MX$928

$59.5 ฿1,953

-10.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.10 MX$700

$34.77 ฿1,141

15.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 MX$1,574

$115 ฿3,760

-21.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 MX$1,395

$83.3 ฿2,733

-4.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 MX$8,785

$613 ฿20.1K

-17.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 MX$6,847

$437 ฿14.3K

-10.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 MX$16.4K

$2,094 ฿68.7K

-55.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$752 MX$13.1K

$1,509 ฿49.5K

-50.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,019 MX$35.3K

$3,749 ฿123.0K

-46.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MX$22.0K

$2,616 ฿85.8K

-51.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in San Felipe and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in San Felipe vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $293 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 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,633 in San Felipe and $1,898 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: $503 in San Felipe versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $207 in San Felipe versus $693 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 $40.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,089 in San Felipe versus $1,265 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 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.