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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,588 in San Isidro versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,395 in San Isidro versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,202 in San Isidro versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in San Isidro is roughly 29% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Isidro is 19% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.80 ₡4,458

$4.63 ฿151

111.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 ₡23.1K

$46.84 ฿1,532

8.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 ₡4,491

$8.84 ฿289

11.76%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₡1,671

$3.00 ฿98.0

22.33%

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

$2.05 ₡934

$0.74 ฿24.25

177.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₡719

$0.37 ฿11.95

327.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 ₡1,386

$2.44 ฿79.8

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 ₡2,103

$3.61 ฿118

27.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₡887

$2.26 ฿73.9

-13.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 ₡1,302

$1.84 ฿60.1

55.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₡1,020

$2.24 ฿73.4

Eggs

$2.88 ₡1,308

$2.32 ฿75.7

24.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 ₡4,443

$19.67 ฿643

-50.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 ₡4,243

$3.65 ฿119

155.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,329

$13.10 ฿428

6.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 ₡2,029

$3.39 ฿111

31.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₡684

$1.64 ฿53.7

-8.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 ₡1,957

$2.41 ฿79.0

78.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 ₡1,460

$2.03 ฿66.4

58.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.42 ₡1,553

$1.56 ฿50.9

119.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,395

$1.50 ฿48.94

104.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₡460

$1.02 ฿33.50

-0.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 ₡1,287

$0.49 ฿16.00

477.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.89 ₡2,223

$4.45 ฿145

9.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 ₡7,332

$18.88 ฿617

-14.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₡1,027

$1.78 ฿58.1

26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 ₡1,171

$2.75 ฿90.1

-6.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₡457

$1.40 ฿45.81

-27.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 ₡819

$3.12 ฿102

-42.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 ₡807

$1.00 ฿32.67

77.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.00 ₡3,638

$14.09 ฿461

-43.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₡657

$1.35 ฿44.19

7.41%

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

$37.5K ₡17.1M

$27.2K ฿888.9K

38.04%

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

$32.0K ₡14.5M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-2.87%

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

$95.0 ₡43.2K

$125 ฿4,087

-23.96%

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

$25.41 ₡11.6K

$13.57 ฿444

87.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 ₡23.7K

$18.52 ฿606

181.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 ₡25.3K

$61.5 ฿2,010

-9.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.72 ₡10.8K

$16.84 ฿551

40.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 ₡4,635

$9.19 ฿300

10.88%

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

$525 ₡238.9K

$698 ฿22.8K

-24.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K ₡5.7M

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-19.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 ₡28.2K

$57.8 ฿1,889

7.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 ₡23.5K

$35.24 ฿1,152

46.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 ₡57.1K

$113 ฿3,699

10.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ₡47.9K

$86.4 ฿2,825

22.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 ₡342.1K

$616 ฿20.1K

22.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₡267.8K

$446 ฿14.6K

32.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 ₡685.8K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-26.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 ₡440.5K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-35.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

5.33

90.81%

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

Last update for San Isidro: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $752 in San Isidro and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in San Isidro vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $292 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 Isidro vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,381 in San Isidro 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: $752 in San Isidro versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $525 in San Isidro 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 Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $51.0 in San Isidro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,588 in San Isidro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Isidro. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in San Isidro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Isidro 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in San Isidro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.