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: $2,421 in San Juan versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,503 in San Juan versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,584 in San Juan versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in San Juan is roughly 92% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 80% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 $19.31

$4.56 ฿149

323.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 $82.3

$46.63 ฿1,519

76.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 $9.89

$8.47 ฿276

16.77%

Cappuccino

$3.52 $3.52

$3.03 ฿98.6

16.17%

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

$1.71 $1.71

$0.69 ฿22.45

147.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.37 ฿11.92

275.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.49 ฿81.0

20.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 $4.63

$3.66 ฿119

26.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.18 ฿71.0

14.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.90 ฿62.0

81.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.20 ฿71.6

0.45%

Eggs

$5.88 $5.88

$2.22 ฿72.4

164.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 $8.92

$19.99 ฿651

-55.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 $8.66

$3.66 ฿119

136.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.82 $12.82

$13.25 ฿432

-3.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.23 ฿105

85.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.70 ฿55.3

59.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.39 ฿78.0

60.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.08 ฿67.7

92.79%

Potato (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$1.59 ฿51.8

154.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.48 ฿48.31

98.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.03 ฿33.54

188.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.52 ฿16.83

284.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$4.25 ฿138

186.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.59 $15.59

$18.79 ฿612

-17.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.76 ฿57.2

41.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.76 ฿89.8

14.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.36 ฿44.32

8.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.56 $29.56

$11.36 ฿370

160.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.04 ฿33.74

46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.21 $15.21

$13.77 ฿448

10.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.34 ฿43.79

-29.10%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

28.95%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-21.01%

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

$483 $483

$124 ฿4,025

290.68%

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

$80.3 $80.3

$13.52 ฿440

493.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 $73.6

$18.69 ฿609

293.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.31 $45.31

$61.8 ฿2,013

-26.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.32 $34.32

$17.25 ฿562

98.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.97 $11.97

$9.14 ฿298

30.96%

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

$478 $478

$703 ฿22.9K

-32.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K $10.5K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-33.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.55 $45.55

$59.5 ฿1,937

-23.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 $56.7

$35.07 ฿1,142

61.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 $91.1

$115 ฿3,754

-20.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$84.1 ฿2,737

27.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$619 ฿20.1K

158.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 $869

$433 ฿14.1K

100.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,400 $2,400

$2,062 ฿67.2K

16.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 $1,381

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-8.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,369 $7,369

$3,646 ฿118.7K

102.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,442 $3,442

$2,626 ฿85.5K

31.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,800 $2,800

$507 ฿16.5K

452.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.71

5.33

7.13%

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

Last update for San Juan: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,597 in San Juan and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 452% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in San Juan vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $293 per month, with Phuket 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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

San Juan pays 452% 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: $1,597 in San Juan versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $478 in San Juan versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in San Juan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,421 in San Juan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Juan. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in San Juan, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in San Juan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.