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: $2,404 in San Juan versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,424 in San Juan versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,444 in San Juan versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in San Juan is roughly 95% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 80% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 $18.78

$4.63 ฿151

305.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.1 $82.1

$46.84 ฿1,532

75.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 $9.65

$8.84 ฿289

9.16%

Cappuccino

$3.54 $3.54

$3.00 ฿98.0

18.00%

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

$1.73 $1.73

$0.74 ฿24.25

133.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

$0.37 ฿11.95

286.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.44 ฿79.8

25.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 $4.53

$3.61 ฿118

25.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.26 ฿73.9

5.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$1.84 ฿60.1

88.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.24 ฿73.4

-2.68%

Eggs

$6.16 $6.16

$2.32 ฿75.7

165.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 $8.68

$19.67 ฿643

-55.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.56 $8.56

$3.65 ฿119

134.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.58 $12.58

$13.10 ฿428

-3.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$3.39 ฿111

75.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.64 ฿53.7

62.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.41 ฿79.0

63.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$2.03 ฿66.4

94.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.56 ฿50.9

149.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.50 ฿48.94

94.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.02 ฿33.50

195.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.49 ฿16.00

308.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.08 $12.08

$4.45 ฿145

171.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.90 $15.90

$18.88 ฿617

-15.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.78 ฿58.1

42.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.75 ฿90.1

17.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.40 ฿45.81

10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.51 $29.51

$11.48 ฿376

157.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.00 ฿32.67

52.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.98 $14.98

$14.09 ฿461

6.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.35 ฿44.19

-29.63%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

34.75%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-19.37%

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

$480 $480

$125 ฿4,087

284.12%

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

$79.4 $79.4

$13.57 ฿444

485.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

$18.52 ฿606

295.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.88 $45.88

$61.5 ฿2,010

-25.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.62 $34.62

$16.84 ฿551

105.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.97 $11.97

$9.19 ฿300

30.25%

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

$470 $470

$698 ฿22.8K

-32.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K $10.4K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-33.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.03 $45.03

$57.8 ฿1,889

-22.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 $57.2

$35.24 ฿1,152

62.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 $92.8

$113 ฿3,699

-17.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$86.4 ฿2,825

23.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 $1,568

$616 ฿20.1K

154.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$843 $843

$446 ฿14.6K

89.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,363 $2,363

$2,048 ฿67.0K

15.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 $1,431

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-4.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,492 $7,492

$3,779 ฿123.6K

98.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,326 $3,326

$2,649 ฿86.6K

25.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,602 $2,602

$524 ฿17.1K

396.69%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,568 in San Juan and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 397% 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 $384 vs $292 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 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

San Juan pays 397% 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: $1,568 in San Juan versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $470 in San Juan versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in San Juan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,404 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 95% less than in San Juan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.