Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San José and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in San José: $913 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in San José
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San José Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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San José

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$913

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in San José versus $1,208 in Phuket.

San José $913
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,449 in San José versus $2,027 in Phuket.

San José $1,449
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,985 in San José versus $2,845 in Phuket.

San José $1,985
Phuket $2,845

Living in San José costs roughly 24% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: San José 33% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.95 UYU 520

$4.40 ฿147

194.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.87 UYU 1,761

$32.26 ฿1,078

35.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.82 UYU 555

$8.76 ฿293

57.76%

Cappuccino

$4.88 UYU 196

$2.83 ฿94.5

72.44%

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

$2.38 UYU 95.6

$0.90 ฿30.14

164.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 UYU 87.9

$0.47 ฿15.56

365.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 UYU 117

$2.55 ฿85.2

14.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 UYU 140

$3.83 ฿128

-9.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 UYU 39.77

$1.73 ฿57.7

-42.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 UYU 80.7

$1.47 ฿49.11

36.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 UYU 59.0

$1.51 ฿50.6

-2.65%

Eggs

$2.62 UYU 105

$2.17 ฿72.7

20.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.01 UYU 482

$19.70 ฿658

-39.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.26 UYU 291

$3.34 ฿112

117.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 484

$11.16 ฿373

8.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 UYU 48.77

$2.85 ฿95.1

-57.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 UYU 61.8

$1.70 ฿56.9

-9.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 UYU 48.71

$2.19 ฿73.3

-44.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 UYU 61.7

$2.05 ฿68.4

-24.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 UYU 39.49

$1.45 ฿48.57

-32.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 UYU 51.5

$1.38 ฿46.16

-7.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 UYU 59.7

$1.07 ฿35.69

39.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 UYU 79.9

$0.51 ฿16.91

290.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.82 UYU 394

$4.26 ฿142

130.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 UYU 328

$18.58 ฿621

-56.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 UYU 123

$1.78 ฿59.7

71.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 UYU 135

$2.85 ฿95.2

17.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 UYU 141

$3.01 ฿101

16.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 UYU 139

$1.06 ฿35.34

225.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.95 UYU 399

$3.86 ฿129

157.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 UYU 86.3

$1.45 ฿48.45

48.28%

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

$36.4K UYU 1.5M

$26.3K ฿879.9K

38.29%

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

$40.1K UYU 1.6M

$26.9K ฿900.4K

48.65%

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

$113 UYU 4,547

$96.4 ฿3,221

17.56%

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

$23.78 UYU 955

$11.04 ฿369

115.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.11 UYU 1,891

$17.14 ฿573

174.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$12.35 UYU 496

$7.81 ฿261

58.13%

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

$494 UYU 19.8K

$556 ฿18.6K

-11.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,691 UYU 268.6K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-42.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 UYU 3,542

$64.2 ฿2,146

37.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.57 UYU 1,508

$28.69 ฿959

30.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 UYU 6,601

$95.4 ฿3,187

72.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 UYU 4,699

$88.0 ฿2,940

33.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-10.23%

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

Last update for San José: October 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

San José

$256 28.1%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 4.8% $12

Eating Out

San José

$243 26.7%

Phuket

$121 10% 50.2% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San José

$184 20.2%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 32.4% $60

Clothing & Footwear

San José

$183 20.1%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 32.2% $59

Sport & Entertainment

San José

$25 * 2.7%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 175% $43

Getting Around

San José

$21 * 2.3%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 90% $19

Accommodation & Living

San José

- * 0%

Phuket

$462 38.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $44.00 in San José vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $256 vs $269, with San José cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇾 San José

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

11:20 11:20 AM

21:20 9:20 PM

10 h ahead of San José

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,747

79,308

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San José Phuket 16,120 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

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

San José is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,369 in San José and $1,813 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.

Childcare runs $494 in San José versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San José – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $913 in San José versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San José but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San José the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San José 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 José 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 José gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.