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: $2,191 in San Juan versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,373 in San Juan versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,555 in San Juan versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in San Juan is roughly 78% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 60% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 $18.78

$4.41 ฿147

325.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 $83.5

$32.26 ฿1,073

158.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 $9.32

$8.93 ฿297

4.37%

Cappuccino

$3.63 $3.63

$2.90 ฿96.3

25.17%

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

$1.87 $1.87

$0.88 ฿29.27

112.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.48 ฿16.00

214.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.35 ฿78.2

29.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.72 ฿124

33.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.87 ฿62.0

22.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.47 ฿48.75

141.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.55 ฿51.6

51.61%

Eggs

$7.31 $7.31

$2.10 ฿69.9

248.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.34 $12.34

$19.59 ฿651

-37.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.76 $9.76

$3.42 ฿114

185.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.37 $13.37

$11.38 ฿378

17.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.98 ฿99.2

72.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.68 ฿56.0

58.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.21 ฿73.5

123.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.16 ฿71.9

117.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.52 ฿50.7

141.45%

Onion (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$1.34 ฿44.49

202.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.13 ฿37.53

211.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.55 ฿18.17

187.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.20 $12.20

$4.26 ฿142

186.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 $15.76

$19.09 ฿635

-17.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.78 ฿59.2

75.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.78 ฿92.5

47.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 $0.74

$2.23 ฿74.1

-66.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.92 $29.92

$22.74 ฿756

31.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.03 ฿101

-19.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.02 ฿34.02

45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.26 $41.26

$3.89 ฿129

960.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.49 ฿49.57

-22.82%

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

$39.9K $39.9K

$26.6K ฿883.8K

50.19%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$27.0K ฿898.7K

2.16%

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

$327 $327

$102 ฿3,407

218.63%

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

$69.4 $69.4

$11.33 ฿377

512.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$17.40 ฿578

299.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.66 $40.66

$52.1 ฿1,732

-21.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.43 $7.43

$11.07 ฿368

-32.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.62 $10.62

$7.69 ฿256

38.10%

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

$825 $825

$561 ฿18.6K

47.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K $12.3K

$11.5K ฿382.6K

7.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 $56.1

$63.0 ฿2,096

-10.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 $60.8

$29.52 ฿982

106.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$98.0 ฿3,259

11.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$88.5 ฿2,943

28.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,832 $1,832

$738 ฿24.5K

148.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 $838

$482 ฿16.0K

73.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,872 $2,872

$2,107 ฿70.0K

36.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 $1,442

$1,226 ฿40.8K

17.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,617 ฿120.3K

103.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,321 $3,321

$2,603 ฿86.5K

27.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,727 $2,727

$494 ฿16.4K

452.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.57

17.59%

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

Last update for San Juan: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,832 in San Juan and $738 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: $83.0 in San Juan vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $416 vs $274 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, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 452% 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: $1,832 in San Juan versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $825 in San Juan versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in San Juan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,191 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 78% less than in San Juan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.