Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Isidro and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,753 in San Isidro, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in San Isidro
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San Isidro Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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San Isidro

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,753

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,753 in San Isidro versus $1,207 in Phuket.

San Isidro $1,753
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,640 in San Isidro versus $2,037 in Phuket.

San Isidro $2,640
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,528 in San Isidro versus $2,867 in Phuket.

San Isidro $3,528
Phuket $2,867

Living in San Isidro is roughly 45% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Isidro is 30% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.58 ₡6,092

$4.58 ฿153

196.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 ₡23.2K

$32.48 ฿1,086

59.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.04 ₡5,400

$8.55 ฿286

40.82%

Cappuccino

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.72 ฿91.0

38.24%

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

$2.35 ₡1,053

$0.94 ฿31.25

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₡922

$0.49 ฿16.39

320.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₡1,665

$2.59 ฿86.6

43.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 ₡1,815

$3.83 ฿128

5.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 ₡1,082

$1.74 ฿58.1

38.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 ₡1,087

$1.43 ฿47.82

69.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 ₡1,248

$1.53 ฿51.0

81.70%

Eggs

$3.88 ₡1,740

$2.17 ฿72.7

78.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 ₡4,237

$19.15 ฿640

-50.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 ₡4,403

$3.30 ฿110

197.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.80 ₡6,187

$11.14 ฿372

23.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 ₡2,274

$2.95 ฿98.5

71.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 ₡766

$1.68 ฿56.1

1.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 ₡1,647

$2.30 ฿76.8

59.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 ₡1,553

$2.13 ฿71.3

62.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 ₡1,498

$1.53 ฿51.1

118.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.46 ₡1,550

$1.36 ฿45.55

154.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₡468

$1.12 ฿37.44

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 ₡1,358

$0.55 ฿18.24

450.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₡2,258

$4.26 ฿142

18.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.22 ₡8,171

$18.19 ฿608

0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 ₡1,230

$1.74 ฿58.2

57.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,162

$2.79 ฿93.3

-7.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 ₡556

$2.22 ฿74.1

-44.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$2.91 ฿97.3

-19.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 ₡792

$1.01 ฿33.79

75.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.42 ₡4,223

$3.83 ฿128

145.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₡655

$1.49 ฿49.85

-2.01%

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

$24.7K ₡11.1M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-7.54%

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

$35.2K ₡15.8M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

31.70%

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

$83.8 ₡37.6K

$99.4 ฿3,321

-15.67%

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

$31.55 ₡14.1K

$11.28 ฿377

179.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 ₡23.9K

$17.36 ฿580

206.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.9 ₡37.6K

$52.3 ฿1,747

60.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$6.90 ₡3,094

$7.57 ฿253

-8.85%

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

$967 ₡433.4K

$558 ฿18.7K

73.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ₡8.0M

$11.5K ฿383.9K

55.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 ₡29.9K

$62.9 ฿2,102

6.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 ₡27.5K

$28.58 ฿955

114.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 ₡63.3K

$96.1 ฿3,213

46.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ₡52.8K

$88.1 ฿2,943

33.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$691 ₡310.1K

$729 ฿24.4K

-5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 ₡308.5K

$460 ฿15.4K

49.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 ₡822.6K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-12.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 ₡509.6K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-7.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.57

54.76%

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

Last update for San Isidro: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Isidro

$688 39.2%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 33.1% $228

Groceries & Markets

San Isidro

$374 21.4%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 28.5% $107

Eating Out

San Isidro

$234 13.4%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 48.2% $113

Clothing & Footwear

San Isidro

$174 9.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 28.8% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Isidro

$169 9.6%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 24.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

San Isidro

$98 5.6%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 31% $30

Getting Around

San Isidro

$16 * 0.9%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 141% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $691 in San Isidro and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in San Isidro vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Isidro

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

02:34 2:34 AM

15:34 3:34 PM

13 h ahead of San Isidro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Isidro Phuket 18,010 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

San Isidro
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 Isidro vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,629 in San Isidro and $1,811 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: $691 in San Isidro versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $967 in San Isidro versus $558 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 $32.00 versus $52.0 in San Isidro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,753 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 45% less than in San Isidro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.