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: $2,439 in San Juan versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in San Juan versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,511 in San Juan versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in San Juan is roughly 93% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 83% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.11 $19.11

$4.48 ฿150

326.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.5 $81.5

$45.59 ฿1,521

78.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 $9.73

$8.76 ฿292

11.07%

Cappuccino

$3.63 $3.63

$2.97 ฿99.0

22.22%

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

$1.72 $1.72

$0.69 ฿22.90

149.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.39 ฿13.04

271.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.53 ฿84.4

17.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.75 ฿125

19.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.15 ฿71.6

11.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 $3.41

$1.82 ฿60.6

87.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.18 ฿72.9

2.75%

Eggs

$5.96 $5.96

$2.25 ฿75.0

164.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 $9.02

$20.00 ฿667

-54.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 $8.39

$3.63 ฿121

131.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 $12.70

$13.56 ฿452

-6.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.72 $5.72

$3.24 ฿108

76.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.64 ฿54.6

67.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.33 ฿77.8

64.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.07 ฿69.1

90.34%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$1.55 ฿51.6

163.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.46 ฿48.54

102.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 $3.11

$0.98 ฿32.86

217.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$0.48 ฿16.09

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.03 $12.03

$4.35 ฿145

176.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.31 $15.31

$18.57 ฿620

-17.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.86 ฿61.9

33.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.65 ฿88.6

22.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.42 ฿47.28

7.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.61 $29.61

$11.57 ฿386

155.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.03 ฿34.41

47.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.86 $14.86

$13.89 ฿463

6.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.34 ฿44.84

-29.10%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

31.98%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-20.97%

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

$484 $484

$123 ฿4,105

293.37%

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

$79.6 $79.6

$13.77 ฿459

478.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$18.33 ฿611

297.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.56 $46.56

$60.7 ฿2,025

-23.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.54 $34.54

$17.16 ฿573

101.28%

Cinema Ticket

$12.06 $12.06

$8.87 ฿296

35.96%

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

$473 $473

$688 ฿22.9K

-31.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K $10.4K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-33.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.48 $45.48

$59.3 ฿1,978

-23.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 $57.1

$34.69 ฿1,157

64.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 $89.6

$115 ฿3,843

-22.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$83.8 ฿2,794

25.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,557 $1,557

$621 ฿20.7K

150.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$870 $870

$446 ฿14.9K

95.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,434 $2,434

$2,034 ฿67.8K

19.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 $1,390

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-7.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,544 $7,544

$3,455 ฿115.3K

118.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,419 $3,419

$2,531 ฿84.4K

35.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,690 $2,690

$494 ฿16.5K

445.00%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,557 in San Juan and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 445% 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: $81.0 in San Juan vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $291 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 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 445% 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: $1,557 in San Juan versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $473 in San Juan versus $688 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 $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,439 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 93% less than in San Juan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.