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: $1,196 in San Fernando versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,963 in San Fernando versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,729 in San Fernando versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in San Fernando costs roughly 3% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Fernando 13% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.43 MX$196

$4.41 ฿147

159.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.51 MX$850

$32.26 ฿1,073

53.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.04 MX$155

$8.93 ฿297

1.23%

Cappuccino

$3.39 MX$58.2

$2.90 ฿96.3

16.90%

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

$1.30 MX$22.32

$0.88 ฿29.27

47.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$21.63

$0.48 ฿16.00

162.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 MX$51.2

$2.35 ฿78.2

26.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$73.0

$3.72 ฿124

14.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 MX$33.84

$1.87 ฿62.0

5.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$45.52

$1.47 ฿48.75

80.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.75

$1.55 ฿51.6

0.65%

Eggs

$2.31 MX$39.68

$2.10 ฿69.9

10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.66 MX$166

$19.59 ฿651

-50.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 MX$169

$3.42 ฿114

187.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.12 MX$191

$11.38 ฿378

-2.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 MX$45.76

$2.98 ฿99.2

-10.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.93

$1.68 ฿56.0

10.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 MX$29.93

$2.21 ฿73.5

-21.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.91

$2.16 ฿71.9

-11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.42

$1.52 ฿50.7

43.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.13

$1.34 ฿44.49

44.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 MX$24.15

$1.13 ฿37.53

24.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.94

$0.55 ฿18.17

143.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 MX$69.3

$4.26 ฿142

-5.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 MX$207

$19.09 ฿635

-36.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 MX$37.86

$1.78 ฿59.2

24.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 MX$51.9

$2.78 ฿92.5

8.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.20

$2.23 ฿74.1

-70.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$45.74

$3.03 ฿101

-12.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 MX$34.87

$1.02 ฿34.02

99.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 MX$172

$3.89 ฿129

158.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 MX$27.94

$1.49 ฿49.57

9.40%

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

$20.5K MX$351.1K

$26.6K ฿883.8K

-23.06%

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

$27.1K MX$465.0K

$27.0K ฿898.7K

0.23%

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

$58.2 MX$999

$102 ฿3,407

-43.22%

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

$26.10 MX$448

$11.33 ฿377

130.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.19 MX$553

$17.40 ฿578

85.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 MX$536

$52.1 ฿1,732

-40.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.84 MX$323

$11.07 ฿368

70.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 MX$105

$7.69 ฿256

-20.68%

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

$254 MX$4,358

$561 ฿18.6K

-54.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,283 MX$90.7K

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-54.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 MX$951

$63.0 ฿2,096

-12.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.08 MX$671

$29.52 ฿982

32.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 MX$2,070

$98.0 ฿3,259

23.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 MX$1,791

$88.5 ฿2,943

17.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 MX$9,766

$738 ฿24.5K

-22.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 MX$7,832

$482 ฿16.0K

-5.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,150 MX$19.7K

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-45.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$812 MX$13.9K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-33.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,798 MX$30.9K

$3,617 ฿120.3K

-50.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,364 MX$23.4K

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-47.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.57

102.87%

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

Last update for San Fernando: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $569 in San Fernando and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in San Fernando vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $274 per month, with Phuket 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 Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,794 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: $569 in San Fernando versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $254 in San Fernando versus $561 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 $50.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,196 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 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.