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: $597 in San Juan versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $986 in San Juan versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,376 in San Juan versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in San Juan costs roughly 53% 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

$5.86 ARS 8,357

$4.70 ฿153

24.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.78 ARS 42.5K

$45.37 ฿1,482

-34.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.23 ARS 11.7K

$8.43 ฿275

-2.37%

Cappuccino

$1.50 ARS 2,142

$2.93 ฿95.6

-48.81%

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

$0.97 ARS 1,384

$0.69 ฿22.40

40.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ARS 1,226

$0.37 ฿11.99

132.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 ARS 2,828

$2.41 ฿78.6

-17.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ARS 4,179

$3.72 ฿122

-21.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ARS 1,022

$2.23 ฿72.9

-67.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ARS 1,016

$1.83 ฿59.8

-61.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 ARS 1,736

$2.17 ฿70.8

-43.78%

Eggs

$1.67 ARS 2,378

$2.21 ฿72.3

-24.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.45 ARS 4,928

$19.74 ฿645

-82.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ARS 5,080

$3.63 ฿119

-1.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.90 ARS 5,560

$13.53 ฿442

-71.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 ARS 2,157

$3.28 ฿107

-53.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 ARS 2,095

$1.61 ฿52.6

-8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,123

$2.41 ฿78.6

-38.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ARS 2,974

$2.08 ฿68.1

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 ARS 891

$1.53 ฿49.93

-59.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 ARS 945

$1.48 ฿48.36

-55.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ARS 593

$0.99 ฿32.29

-57.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ARS 1,222

$0.51 ฿16.67

68.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.70 ARS 2,430

$4.41 ฿144

-61.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.11 ARS 7,295

$19.38 ฿633

-73.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ARS 2,198

$1.78 ฿58.1

-13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ARS 2,619

$2.71 ฿88.6

-32.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ARS 410

$1.37 ฿44.79

-78.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.95 ARS 7,066

$11.39 ฿372

-56.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 ARS 587

$3.02 ฿98.6

-86.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,456

$0.99 ฿32.48

3.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 ARS 7,187

$14.10 ฿461

-64.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ARS 1,557

$1.36 ฿44.51

-19.85%

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

$32.1K ARS 45.8M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

13.80%

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

$21.3K ARS 30.4M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-35.31%

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

$76.8 ARS 109.6K

$122 ฿3,975

-36.89%

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

$4.97 ARS 7,083

$13.57 ฿443

-63.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.16 ARS 14.5K

$18.31 ฿598

-44.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.15 ARS 25.9K

$60.2 ฿1,967

-69.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.89 ARS 8,398

$17.14 ฿560

-65.64%

Cinema Ticket

$2.01 ARS 2,873

$8.69 ฿284

-76.87%

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

$104 ARS 147.8K

$693 ฿22.6K

-85.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,153 ARS 3.1M

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-86.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.46 ARS 70.6K

$59.5 ฿1,944

-16.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.96 ARS 71.3K

$34.77 ฿1,136

43.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ARS 143.1K

$115 ฿3,743

-12.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ARS 167.8K

$83.3 ฿2,720

41.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$148 ARS 211.7K

$613 ฿20.0K

-75.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.6 ARS 127.7K

$437 ฿14.3K

-79.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 ARS 352.9K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-88.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 ARS 281.2K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-86.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,548 ARS 3.6M

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-32.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,112 ARS 3.0M

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-19.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$713 ARS 1.0M

$508 ฿16.6K

40.35%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $148 in San Juan and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in San Juan vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $135 vs $293 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 112% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

San Juan pays 40% more on average, 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: $148 in San Juan versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $104 in San Juan versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 117% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $597 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 112% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.