Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose del Monte and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose del Monte: $731 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

San Jose del Monte, Philippines
Phuket, Thailand
San Jose del Monte
🇵🇭 Philippines
$731
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $731 in San Jose del Monte versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • San Jose del Monte $731
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,096 in San Jose del Monte versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • San Jose del Monte $1,096
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,461 in San Jose del Monte versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • San Jose del Monte $1,461
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in San Jose del Monte costs roughly 43% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Jose del Monte 46% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Jose del Monte
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.94 ₱252
$4.47 ฿151
-11.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.34 ₱1,044
$32.41 ฿1,094
-49.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.73 ₱174
$8.81 ฿297
-69.01%
Cappuccino
$1.74 ₱111
$2.83 ฿95.5
-38.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₱35.61
$0.87 ฿29.43
-35.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₱19.71
$0.49 ฿16.67
-36.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.94 ₱59.8
$2.56 ฿86.4
-63.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 ₱102
$3.68 ฿124
-56.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Jose del Monte
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 ₱105
$1.66 ฿56.0
-1.20%
White Bread (500g)
$1.14 ₱72.8
$1.46 ฿49.35
-21.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.94 ₱59.9
$1.50 ฿50.6
-37.33%
Eggs
$2.02 ₱129
$2.09 ฿70.5
-3.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.07 ₱324
$19.07 ฿644
-73.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.28 ₱210
$3.30 ฿111
-0.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.92 ₱442
$10.91 ฿368
-36.57%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 ₱145
$2.93 ฿99.0
-22.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 ₱100
$1.69 ฿57.1
-7.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 ₱152
$2.25 ฿75.8
5.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.02 ₱64.9
$2.08 ฿70.1
-50.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 ₱109
$1.51 ฿51.0
12.58%
Onion (1kg)
$1.69 ₱108
$1.38 ฿46.56
22.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.65 ₱41.24
$1.07 ฿35.99
-39.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 ₱30.52
$0.52 ฿17.52
-7.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.86 ₱183
$4.20 ฿142
-31.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.81 ₱563
$18.79 ฿634
-53.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 ₱60.1
$1.82 ฿61.5
-48.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 ₱126
$2.84 ฿95.9
-30.99%
🚌 Getting Around
San Jose del Monte
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.21 ₱13.69
$1.45 ฿49.03
-85.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.48 ₱797
$56.7 ฿1,913
-77.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.75 ₱48.17
$3.02 ฿102
-75.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.73
$1.02 ฿34.36
-77.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.91 ₱122
$3.69 ฿125
-48.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 ₱78.2
$1.47 ฿49.81
-17.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.9K ₱1.3M
$26.8K ฿904.3K
-22.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.7K ₱1.2M
$26.7K ฿901.3K
-29.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose del Monte
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$122 ₱7,788
$96.4 ฿3,254
26.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.32 ₱979
$11.26 ฿380
36.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.05 ₱1,472
$16.85 ฿569
36.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Jose del Monte
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.72 ₱2,282
$67.2 ฿2,270
-46.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.50 ₱351
$10.73 ฿362
-48.74%
Cinema Ticket
$5.22 ₱334
$7.50 ฿253
-30.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Jose del Monte
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$129 ₱8,244
$476 ฿16.1K
-72.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,762 ₱559.8K
$11.3K ฿380.4K
-22.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Jose del Monte
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.74 ₱1,836
$62.4 ฿2,106
-53.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.98 ₱1,213
$28.41 ฿959
-33.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.5 ₱4,502
$94.3 ฿3,184
-25.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$53.7 ₱3,428
$85.8 ฿2,898
-37.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Jose del Monte
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$230 ₱14.7K
$716 ฿24.2K
-67.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$189 ₱12.1K
$491 ฿16.6K
-61.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$437 ₱27.9K
$1,927 ฿65.1K
-77.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$361 ₱23.1K
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-74.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,325 ₱148.6K
$4,175 ฿141.0K
-44.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,217 ₱77.8K
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-60.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Jose del Monte
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$502 ฿17.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
5.57
21.18%

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

Last update for San Jose del Monte: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Jose del Monte
$189
Phuket
$491 160% $302
Groceries & Markets
San Jose del Monte
$170
Phuket
$266 56.2% $96
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose del Monte
$160
Phuket
$124 22.3% $36
Clothing & Footwear
San Jose del Monte
$77
Phuket
$122 57.6% $45
Eating Out
San Jose del Monte
$72
Phuket
$122 69.2% $50
Sport & Entertainment
San Jose del Monte
$46
Phuket
$82 78.1% $36
Getting Around
San Jose del Monte
$15
Phuket
$71 363% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $230 in San Jose del Monte and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16 in San Jose del Monte vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $266 per month, with San Jose del Monte cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 San Jose del Monte
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
05:36 5:36 AM
04:36 4:36 AM
1 h behind San Jose del Monte
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
651,813
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Jose del Monte Phuket 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • San Jose del Monte
  • 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 Jose del Monte vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Jose del Monte cheaper than Phuket?
San Jose del Monte is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,096 in San Jose del Monte and $1,917 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.
What is the rent difference between San Jose del Monte and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $230 in San Jose del Monte versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $129 in San Jose del Monte versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in San Jose del Monte and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is it better to live in San Jose del Monte or in Phuket?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find San Jose del Monte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

San Jose del Monte vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?