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: $1,370 in San Juan versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,131 in San Juan versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,893 in San Juan versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in San Juan is roughly 9% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 2% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.47 TTD 50.5

$4.56 ฿149

63.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 TTD 405

$46.63 ฿1,519

28.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.58 TTD 51.3

$8.47 ฿276

-10.51%

Cappuccino

$3.76 TTD 25.43

$3.03 ฿98.6

24.09%

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

$1.09 TTD 7.39

$0.69 ฿22.45

57.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 TTD 5.25

$0.37 ฿11.92

110.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 TTD 12.82

$2.49 ฿81.0

-23.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 TTD 19.46

$3.66 ฿119

-21.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.74 TTD 18.50

$2.18 ฿71.0

25.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 TTD 18.26

$1.90 ฿62.0

42.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 TTD 18.16

$2.20 ฿71.6

22.27%

Eggs

$4.99 TTD 33.75

$2.22 ฿72.4

124.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 TTD 53.5

$19.99 ฿651

-60.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.59 TTD 71.6

$3.66 ฿119

189.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.54 TTD 98.3

$13.25 ฿432

9.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 TTD 40.51

$3.23 ฿105

85.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 TTD 17.59

$1.70 ฿55.3

52.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 TTD 28.37

$2.39 ฿78.0

75.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 TTD 32.49

$2.08 ฿67.7

130.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 TTD 10.15

$1.59 ฿51.8

-5.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 TTD 11.22

$1.48 ฿48.31

12.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 TTD 13.28

$1.03 ฿33.54

90.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 TTD 9.57

$0.52 ฿16.83

173.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 TTD 40.57

$4.25 ฿138

41.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 TTD 125

$18.79 ฿612

-1.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 TTD 14.92

$1.76 ฿57.2

25.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 TTD 19.19

$2.76 ฿89.8

2.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 TTD 7.12

$3.14 ฿102

-66.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 TTD 8.57

$1.04 ฿33.74

22.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.67 TTD 99.2

$13.77 ฿448

6.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 TTD 7.78

$1.34 ฿43.79

-14.18%

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

$34.6K TTD 233.6K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

24.84%

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

$38.9K TTD 262.9K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

14.84%

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

$79.4 TTD 537

$124 ฿4,025

-35.73%

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

$45.97 TTD 311

$13.52 ฿440

240.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 TTD 420

$18.69 ฿609

232.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.86 TTD 66.6

$9.14 ฿298

7.88%

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

$323 TTD 2,181

$703 ฿22.9K

-54.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,203 TTD 48.7K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-54.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 TTD 394

$59.5 ฿1,937

-1.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.72 TTD 255

$35.07 ฿1,142

7.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 TTD 992

$115 ฿3,754

27.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 TTD 866

$84.1 ฿2,737

52.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 TTD 5,012

$619 ฿20.1K

19.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 TTD 3,013

$433 ฿14.1K

3.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 TTD 6,985

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-49.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 TTD 5,075

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-50.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

5.33

0.94%

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

Last update for San Juan: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in San Juan and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in San Juan vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 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, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,055 in San Juan and $1,892 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $741 in San Juan versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $323 in San Juan versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $60.0 in San Juan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,370 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 9% less than in San Juan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.