Cost of Living Comparison Between San Luis and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between San Luis and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in San Luis versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,402 in San Luis versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,939 in San Luis versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in San Luis costs roughly 30% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Luis 35% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.17 ARS 15.7K

$4.63 ฿151

141.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.52 ARS 57.1K

$46.84 ฿1,523

-13.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 ARS 13.5K

$8.84 ฿287

8.37%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ARS 5,170

$3.00 ฿97.4

22.33%

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

$2.25 ARS 3,168

$0.74 ฿24.11

204.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ARS 2,899

$0.37 ฿11.88

456.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 ARS 2,309

$2.44 ฿79.3

-32.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ARS 4,132

$3.61 ฿117

-18.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 ARS 1,882

$2.26 ฿73.5

-40.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ARS 2,196

$1.84 ฿59.8

-15.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ARS 2,831

$2.24 ฿73.0

-10.27%

Eggs

$2.16 ARS 3,047

$2.32 ฿75.3

-6.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.59 ARS 9,278

$19.67 ฿639

-66.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.64 ARS 6,532

$3.65 ฿119

27.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.59 ARS 7,878

$13.10 ฿426

-57.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 ARS 1,729

$3.39 ฿110

-63.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ARS 2,152

$1.64 ฿53.4

-6.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ARS 2,050

$2.41 ฿78.5

-39.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ARS 2,936

$2.03 ฿66.0

2.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 ARS 1,371

$1.56 ฿50.6

-37.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ARS 1,392

$1.50 ฿48.66

-34.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ARS 1,432

$1.02 ฿33.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ARS 713

$0.49 ฿15.91

4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 ARS 3,418

$4.45 ฿145

-45.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.93 ARS 6,937

$18.88 ฿614

-73.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 ARS 2,885

$1.78 ฿57.7

15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 ARS 4,892

$2.75 ฿89.5

26.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ARS 760

$1.40 ฿45.54

-61.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 ARS 627

$3.12 ฿101

-85.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ARS 1,423

$1.00 ฿32.48

1.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 ARS 6,917

$14.09 ฿458

-65.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ARS 1,438

$1.35 ฿43.93

-24.44%

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

$31.0K ARS 43.6M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

14.01%

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

$33.7K ARS 47.4M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

2.31%

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

$59.8 ARS 84.1K

$125 ฿4,063

-52.19%

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

$10.86 ARS 15.3K

$13.57 ฿441

-19.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.91 ARS 30.8K

$18.52 ฿602

18.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.00 ARS 36.6K

$61.5 ฿1,999

-57.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.60 ARS 19.1K

$16.84 ฿547

-19.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.56 ARS 7,832

$9.19 ฿299

-39.50%

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

$104 ARS 147.0K

$698 ฿22.7K

-85.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,181 ARS 3.1M

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-86.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.9 ARS 115.4K

$57.8 ฿1,878

41.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.2 ARS 110.1K

$35.24 ฿1,146

121.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 ARS 186.5K

$113 ฿3,677

17.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ARS 166.5K

$86.4 ฿2,808

36.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 ARS 417.8K

$616 ฿20.0K

-51.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 ARS 235.0K

$446 ฿14.5K

-62.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 ARS 736.0K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-74.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 ARS 426.7K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-79.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,074 ARS 2.9M

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-45.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$605 ARS 852.2K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-77.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$491 ARS 690.7K

$524 ฿17.0K

-6.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1382.18%

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

Last update for San Luis: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $297 in San Luis and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 7% 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: $41.00 in San Luis vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $292 per month, with San Luis 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 Luis vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Luis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 7% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $297 in San Luis versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $104 in San Luis versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Luis – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $866 in San Luis versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Luis but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Luis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Luis is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Luis 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 San Luis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.