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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,119 in San Fernando versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,757 in San Fernando versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,395 in San Fernando versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in San Fernando costs roughly 9% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Fernando 16% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.61 MX$185

$4.63 ฿151

129.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.66 MX$690

$46.84 ฿1,523

-15.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 MX$139

$8.84 ฿287

-9.84%

Cappuccino

$3.28 MX$57.1

$3.00 ฿97.4

9.33%

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

$1.28 MX$22.29

$0.74 ฿24.11

72.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$16.07

$0.37 ฿11.88

148.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 MX$42.64

$2.44 ฿79.3

0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 MX$68.4

$3.61 ฿117

8.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$2.26 ฿73.5

-35.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 MX$44.35

$1.84 ฿59.8

38.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.31

$2.24 ฿73.0

-27.23%

Eggs

$2.40 MX$41.67

$2.32 ฿75.3

3.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 MX$139

$19.67 ฿639

-59.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 MX$136

$3.65 ฿119

113.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 MX$185

$13.10 ฿426

-18.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.24

$3.39 ฿110

-23.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.64 ฿53.4

-12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.18

$2.41 ฿78.5

-25.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.96

$2.03 ฿66.0

-20.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.40

$1.56 ฿50.6

23.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.63

$1.50 ฿48.66

32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 MX$21.98

$1.02 ฿33.30

23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.71

$0.49 ฿15.91

108.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 MX$71.6

$4.45 ฿145

-7.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.25 MX$178

$18.88 ฿614

-45.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$27.20

$1.78 ฿57.7

-12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$47.92

$2.75 ฿89.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.46

$1.40 ฿45.54

-52.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 MX$45.75

$3.12 ฿101

-15.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 MX$27.02

$1.00 ฿32.48

55.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 MX$141

$14.09 ฿458

-42.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.93

$1.35 ฿43.93

-6.67%

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

$21.5K MX$374.0K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-20.93%

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

$22.7K MX$394.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-31.17%

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

$55.7 MX$970

$125 ฿4,063

-55.40%

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

$21.89 MX$381

$13.57 ฿441

61.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.24 MX$491

$18.52 ฿602

52.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.51 MX$635

$61.5 ฿1,999

-40.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.76 MX$274

$16.84 ฿547

-6.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.50 MX$78.2

$9.19 ฿299

-51.03%

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

$209 MX$3,631

$698 ฿22.7K

-70.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,543 MX$61.6K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-77.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 MX$923

$57.8 ฿1,878

-8.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.84 MX$693

$35.24 ฿1,146

13.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 MX$1,575

$113 ฿3,677

-19.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 MX$1,367

$86.4 ฿2,808

-9.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 MX$9,033

$616 ฿20.0K

-15.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 MX$6,884

$446 ฿14.5K

-11.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$943 MX$16.4K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-53.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$766 MX$13.3K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-48.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,010 MX$35.0K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-46.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,286 MX$22.4K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-51.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿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 Fernando: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $519 in San Fernando and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in San Fernando vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $292 per month, with San Fernando 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 Fernando vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Fernando is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,678 in San Fernando and $1,847 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: $519 in San Fernando versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $209 in San Fernando 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 Fernando – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,119 in San Fernando versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Fernando but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Fernando the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Fernando 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 Fernando 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 Fernando gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.