Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Fernando, Philippines and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando: $807 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando
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San Fernando Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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San Fernando

🇵🇭 Philippines

$807

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Fernando 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 Fernando and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $807 in San Fernando versus $1,294 in Phuket.

San Fernando $807
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,271 in San Fernando versus $2,204 in Phuket.

San Fernando $1,271
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,735 in San Fernando versus $3,115 in Phuket.

San Fernando $1,735
Phuket $3,115

Living in San Fernando costs roughly 38% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Fernando 40% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 ₱195

$4.39 ฿148

-30.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.84 ₱1,516

$32.31 ฿1,086

-26.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 ₱179

$8.70 ฿293

-67.59%

Cappuccino

$1.71 ₱109

$2.72 ฿91.6

-37.13%

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

$0.64 ₱40.43

$0.93 ฿31.28

-31.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱24.23

$0.50 ฿16.79

-24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₱69.3

$2.53 ฿85.1

-56.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱124

$3.63 ฿122

-46.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.74 ฿58.5

1.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 ₱55.0

$1.45 ฿48.77

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱61.1

$1.50 ฿50.5

-36.00%

Eggs

$1.90 ₱121

$2.17 ฿73.0

-12.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.60 ₱293

$19.09 ฿642

-75.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ₱210

$3.40 ฿114

-2.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.04 ₱448

$10.90 ฿366

-35.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 ₱164

$2.94 ฿98.9

-12.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 ₱131

$1.69 ฿56.9

21.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 ₱175

$2.19 ฿73.8

25.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.2

$2.12 ฿71.4

-56.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ₱88.0

$1.46 ฿49.03

-5.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ₱83.8

$1.37 ฿45.99

-3.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.09

$1.08 ฿36.17

-39.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₱22.37

$0.55 ฿18.34

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 ₱172

$4.43 ฿149

-38.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.96 ₱442

$18.25 ฿614

-61.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₱47.73

$1.77 ฿59.6

-57.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ₱187

$2.88 ฿96.8

2.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.80

$1.45 ฿48.66

-82.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.59 ₱864

$54.9 ฿1,845

-75.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₱63.7

$1.51 ฿50.9

-33.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.70

$0.78 ฿26.08

-74.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱123

$3.84 ฿129

-49.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.7

$1.49 ฿50.0

-14.77%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$26.9K ฿903.7K

-21.81%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$26.3K ฿885.7K

-27.66%

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

$96.3 ₱6,121

$97.8 ฿3,288

-1.57%

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

$17.18 ₱1,092

$11.29 ฿380

52.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.29 ₱1,926

$17.19 ฿578

76.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.66 ₱2,013

$68.3 ฿2,297

-53.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.57 ₱990

$10.92 ฿367

42.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.66 ₱296

$7.43 ฿250

-37.28%

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

$267 ₱17.0K

$530 ฿17.8K

-49.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ₱855.9K

$18.8K ฿631.4K

-28.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.06 ₱3,119

$61.7 ฿2,073

-20.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.73 ₱2,399

$28.25 ฿950

33.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 ₱4,542

$96.0 ฿3,228

-25.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 ₱4,982

$86.8 ฿2,919

-9.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 ₱25.6K

$721 ฿24.2K

-44.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 ₱16.9K

$509 ฿17.1K

-47.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$724 ₱46.0K

$1,950 ฿65.6K

-62.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 ₱35.6K

$1,397 ฿47.0K

-59.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,249 ₱270.2K

$4,192 ฿140.9K

1.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,385 ₱151.6K

$3,298 ฿110.9K

-27.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

25.67%

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

Last update for San Fernando: November 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Fernando

$266 32.9%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 91.6% $243

Groceries & Markets

San Fernando

$167 20.7%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 59.7% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Fernando

$144 17.8%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 12.1% $17

Clothing & Footwear

San Fernando

$106 13.2%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 15.3% $16

Eating Out

San Fernando

$67 8.3%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 78.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

San Fernando

$41 5.1%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 103% $42

Getting Around

San Fernando

$17 2.1%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 299% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $402 in San Fernando and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24 in San Fernando vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $267 per month, with San Fernando cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Fernando

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

03:40 3:40 AM

02:40 2:40 AM

1 h behind San Fernando

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

354,666

79,308

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.57 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Fernando Phuket 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Fernando
Phuket

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 Fernando vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Fernando is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,211 in San Fernando and $1,940 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: $402 in San Fernando versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $267 in San Fernando versus $530 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $807 in San Fernando versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find San Fernando gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.