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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $607 in San Juan versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $996 in San Juan versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,384 in San Juan versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in San Juan costs roughly 51% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Juan 55% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.85 ARS 8,646

$4.55 ฿153

28.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.44 ARS 43.5K

$46.18 ฿1,554

-36.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ARS 11.6K

$8.84 ฿298

-10.86%

Cappuccino

$1.54 ARS 2,278

$3.06 ฿103

-49.67%

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

$0.96 ARS 1,417

$0.73 ฿24.42

31.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 ARS 1,341

$0.40 ฿13.40

127.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 ARS 2,875

$2.43 ฿81.8

-20.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ARS 4,402

$3.78 ฿127

-21.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 ARS 1,055

$2.26 ฿76.0

-68.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 ARS 975

$1.81 ฿60.9

-63.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,828

$2.25 ฿75.8

-44.89%

Eggs

$1.74 ARS 2,568

$2.25 ฿75.6

-22.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.34 ARS 4,940

$19.51 ฿656

-82.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ARS 5,157

$3.65 ฿123

-4.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.09 ARS 6,047

$13.05 ฿439

-68.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 ARS 2,186

$3.23 ฿109

-54.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ARS 2,260

$1.62 ฿54.4

-5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 ARS 2,272

$2.38 ฿80.2

-35.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ARS 3,173

$2.03 ฿68.2

5.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ARS 943

$1.53 ฿51.6

-58.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 ARS 916

$1.50 ฿50.5

-58.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ARS 570

$0.98 ฿32.93

-60.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ARS 1,272

$0.52 ฿17.40

65.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 ARS 2,626

$4.44 ฿149

-59.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.91 ARS 7,253

$18.32 ฿616

-73.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ARS 2,184

$1.86 ฿62.7

-20.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ARS 2,727

$2.68 ฿90.2

-31.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ARS 427

$1.41 ฿47.49

-79.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.10 ARS 7,537

$11.70 ฿394

-56.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 ARS 609

$3.11 ฿105

-86.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,522

$1.04 ฿35.08

-0.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 ARS 7,381

$14.11 ฿475

-64.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ARS 1,634

$1.31 ฿44.13

-15.27%

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

$31.6K ARS 46.6M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

13.46%

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

$21.0K ARS 31.1M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-36.64%

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

$77.7 ARS 114.9K

$122 ฿4,120

-36.52%

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

$5.10 ARS 7,544

$13.59 ฿457

-62.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.17 ARS 15.0K

$18.70 ฿629

-45.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.83 ARS 26.3K

$60.5 ฿2,035

-70.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.07 ARS 8,967

$16.98 ฿572

-64.25%

Cinema Ticket

$1.97 ARS 2,916

$9.07 ฿305

-78.28%

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

$102 ARS 150.9K

$706 ฿23.8K

-85.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,197 ARS 3.2M

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-86.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.17 ARS 72.7K

$58.6 ฿1,970

-16.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.82 ARS 73.6K

$35.36 ฿1,190

40.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 ARS 147.4K

$115 ฿3,885

-13.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ARS 173.8K

$83.7 ฿2,818

40.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$150 ARS 221.1K

$626 ฿21.1K

-76.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.6 ARS 135.3K

$445 ฿15.0K

-79.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 ARS 369.7K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-87.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 ARS 301.1K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-86.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,550 ARS 3.8M

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-26.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,083 ARS 3.1M

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-19.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$709 ARS 1.0M

$500 ฿16.8K

41.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1382.18%

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

Last update for San Juan: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $150 in San Juan and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in San Juan vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $135 vs $289 per month, with San Juan 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 Juan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 42% higher in San Juan, 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: $150 in San Juan versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $102 in San Juan versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 115% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $607 in San Juan versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Juan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Juan 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 Juan 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 Juan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.