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: $1,217 in San Fernando versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,005 in San Fernando versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,794 in San Fernando versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in San Fernando costs roughly 4% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Fernando 9% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.40 TTD 70.1

$4.48 ฿150

132.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 TTD 399

$45.59 ฿1,525

29.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 TTD 50.9

$8.76 ฿293

-13.93%

Cappuccino

$3.68 TTD 24.82

$2.97 ฿99.3

23.91%

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

$1.09 TTD 7.34

$0.69 ฿22.96

57.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 TTD 5.18

$0.39 ฿13.07

97.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 TTD 12.30

$2.53 ฿84.7

-28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 TTD 16.73

$3.75 ฿125

-33.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 TTD 13.72

$2.15 ฿71.8

-5.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 TTD 15.80

$1.82 ฿60.7

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 TTD 17.71

$2.18 ฿73.1

20.64%

Eggs

$3.83 TTD 25.83

$2.25 ฿75.2

70.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.09 TTD 54.6

$20.00 ฿669

-59.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 TTD 70.5

$3.63 ฿121

187.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 TTD 58.7

$13.56 ฿453

-35.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 TTD 39.97

$3.24 ฿109

82.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 TTD 16.75

$1.64 ฿54.7

51.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 TTD 29.41

$2.33 ฿78.0

87.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 TTD 31.51

$2.07 ฿69.3

125.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 TTD 8.35

$1.55 ฿51.8

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 TTD 5.13

$1.46 ฿48.67

-47.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 TTD 10.06

$0.98 ฿32.94

52.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 TTD 7.85

$0.48 ฿16.13

141.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 TTD 38.36

$4.35 ฿146

30.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.35 TTD 117

$18.57 ฿621

-6.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 TTD 10.24

$1.86 ฿62.1

-18.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 TTD 18.27

$2.65 ฿88.8

2.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 TTD 3.09

$1.42 ฿47.40

-67.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.31 TTD 299

$11.57 ฿387

282.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 TTD 5.76

$3.17 ฿106

-73.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 TTD 5.77

$1.03 ฿34.51

-16.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.56 TTD 98.2

$13.89 ฿465

4.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 TTD 6.68

$1.34 ฿44.96

-26.12%

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

$34.4K TTD 232.1K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

23.82%

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

$38.2K TTD 257.8K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

14.51%

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

$44.86 TTD 303

$123 ฿4,116

-63.54%

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

$42.88 TTD 289

$13.77 ฿461

211.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.00 TTD 304

$18.33 ฿613

145.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.91 TTD 316

$60.7 ฿2,030

-22.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 TTD 58.2

$17.16 ฿574

-49.77%

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 TTD 59.4

$8.87 ฿297

-0.79%

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

$325 TTD 2,195

$688 ฿23.0K

-52.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,224 TTD 15.0K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-85.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.93 TTD 296

$59.3 ฿1,984

-25.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.61 TTD 247

$34.69 ฿1,160

5.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 TTD 605

$115 ฿3,853

-22.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 TTD 610

$83.8 ฿2,802

7.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 TTD 3,596

$621 ฿20.8K

-14.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 TTD 2,355

$446 ฿14.9K

-21.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 TTD 6,583

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-52.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 TTD 4,688

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-53.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,976 TTD 13.3K

$3,455 ฿115.6K

-42.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 TTD 10.0K

$2,531 ฿84.7K

-41.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,030 TTD 6,947

$494 ฿16.5K

108.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

5.33

0.94%

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

Last update for San Fernando: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $533 in San Fernando and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Fernando pays 109% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in San Fernando vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $291 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 Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 109% higher in San Fernando, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $533 in San Fernando versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $325 in San Fernando versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,217 in San Fernando versus $1,264 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 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.