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: $868 in San Juan versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,372 in San Juan versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,877 in San Juan versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in San Juan costs roughly 31% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Juan 37% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.11 ARS 10.7K

$4.66 ฿154

52.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.20 ARS 60.6K

$32.22 ฿1,065

24.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.48 ARS 18.8K

$8.68 ฿287

43.78%

Cappuccino

$2.58 ARS 3,890

$2.90 ฿95.8

-11.03%

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

$2.19 ARS 3,301

$0.84 ฿27.89

160.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ARS 2,640

$0.49 ฿16.16

257.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.95 ARS 5,959

$2.48 ฿82.0

59.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ARS 6,638

$3.73 ฿123

17.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ARS 1,998

$1.89 ฿62.3

-30.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ARS 2,124

$1.41 ฿46.54

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ARS 2,123

$1.62 ฿53.6

-12.96%

Eggs

$1.46 ARS 2,201

$2.24 ฿74.1

-34.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.79 ARS 4,207

$19.84 ฿656

-85.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.28 ARS 9,467

$3.48 ฿115

80.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.79 ARS 16.3K

$11.37 ฿376

-5.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 ARS 2,092

$2.90 ฿95.8

-52.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,183

$1.72 ฿57.0

-15.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ARS 2,030

$2.27 ฿75.1

-40.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ARS 2,120

$2.13 ฿70.4

-33.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ARS 2,098

$1.47 ฿48.72

-5.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ARS 2,173

$1.42 ฿46.92

1.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 ARS 2,100

$1.10 ฿36.25

26.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 ARS 2,195

$0.60 ฿19.76

141.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 ARS 4,263

$4.31 ฿142

-34.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.07 ARS 7,642

$18.60 ฿615

-72.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,175

$1.80 ฿59.5

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 ARS 2,122

$2.97 ฿98.0

-52.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ARS 1,547

$2.25 ฿74.2

-54.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 ARS 3,046

$3.10 ฿102

-34.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,478

$1.08 ฿35.56

-9.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 ARS 7,328

$3.87 ฿128

25.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ARS 1,687

$1.43 ฿47.16

-21.68%

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

$26.6K ARS 40.2M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-4.20%

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

$33.1K ARS 50.0M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

22.75%

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

$137 ARS 206.8K

$105 ฿3,462

30.83%

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

$10.18 ARS 15.4K

$11.39 ฿376

-10.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.04 ARS 27.2K

$17.54 ฿580

2.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.82 ARS 45.0K

$54.3 ฿1,795

-45.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.17 ARS 10.8K

$7.78 ฿257

-7.84%

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

$173 ARS 260.7K

$576 ฿19.0K

-70.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,198 ARS 6.3M

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-63.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ARS 159.8K

$63.6 ฿2,103

66.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.07 ARS 65.0K

$29.10 ฿961

48.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.7 ARS 87.0K

$96.2 ฿3,179

-40.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.91 ARS 54.2K

$90.0 ฿2,974

-60.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 ARS 376.9K

$733 ฿24.2K

-65.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ARS 305.6K

$501 ฿16.5K

-59.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 ARS 765.1K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-76.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 ARS 595.1K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-68.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$686 ARS 1.0M

$508 ฿16.8K

35.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

869.48%

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

Last update for San Juan: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $250 in San Juan and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in San Juan vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $189 vs $275, with San Juan cheaper for home cooking.

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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $250 in San Juan versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $173 in San Juan versus $576 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 Juan – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $868 in San Juan versus $1,265 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 46% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.