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 $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,408 in San Luis versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,950 in San Luis versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in San Luis costs roughly 32% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Luis 35% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.94 ARS 16.2K

$4.48 ฿150

144.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.35 ARS 59.9K

$45.59 ฿1,521

-11.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.41 ARS 14.0K

$8.76 ฿292

7.42%

Cappuccino

$3.77 ARS 5,601

$2.97 ฿99.0

26.94%

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

$2.36 ARS 3,498

$0.69 ฿22.90

242.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ARS 2,952

$0.39 ฿13.04

410.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 ARS 2,355

$2.53 ฿84.4

-37.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ARS 4,332

$3.75 ฿125

-22.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 ARS 1,988

$2.15 ฿71.6

-37.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 ARS 2,274

$1.82 ฿60.6

-15.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ARS 3,052

$2.18 ฿72.9

-5.50%

Eggs

$2.20 ARS 3,262

$2.25 ฿75.0

-2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.54 ARS 9,709

$20.00 ฿667

-67.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.46 ARS 6,626

$3.63 ฿121

22.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.70 ARS 8,470

$13.56 ฿452

-57.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 ARS 1,828

$3.24 ฿108

-62.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ARS 2,257

$1.64 ฿54.6

-7.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 ARS 2,248

$2.33 ฿77.8

-35.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ARS 3,113

$2.07 ฿69.1

1.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 ARS 1,529

$1.55 ฿51.6

-33.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 ARS 1,511

$1.46 ฿48.54

-30.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ARS 1,462

$0.98 ฿32.86

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ARS 770

$0.48 ฿16.09

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 ARS 3,762

$4.35 ฿145

-41.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.07 ARS 6,038

$18.57 ฿620

-78.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 ARS 2,942

$1.86 ฿61.9

6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 ARS 5,153

$2.65 ฿88.6

30.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ARS 847

$1.42 ฿47.28

-59.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 ARS 667

$3.17 ฿106

-85.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,525

$1.03 ฿34.41

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 ARS 7,182

$13.89 ฿463

-65.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 ARS 1,448

$1.34 ฿44.84

-26.87%

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

$31.0K ARS 46.1M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

11.68%

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

$33.1K ARS 49.1M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-0.93%

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

$59.6 ARS 88.5K

$123 ฿4,105

-51.58%

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

$10.96 ARS 16.3K

$13.77 ฿459

-20.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.52 ARS 32.0K

$18.33 ฿611

17.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.14 ARS 38.8K

$60.7 ฿2,025

-56.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.96 ARS 20.7K

$17.16 ฿573

-18.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.53 ARS 8,206

$8.87 ฿296

-37.66%

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

$104 ARS 154.5K

$688 ฿22.9K

-84.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,124 ARS 3.2M

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-86.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.7 ARS 122.8K

$59.3 ฿1,978

39.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.0 ARS 112.8K

$34.69 ฿1,157

118.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 ARS 199.1K

$115 ฿3,843

16.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ARS 175.1K

$83.8 ฿2,794

40.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$305 ARS 452.4K

$621 ฿20.7K

-50.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 ARS 255.6K

$446 ฿14.9K

-61.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 ARS 783.3K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-74.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$304 ARS 450.8K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-79.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$992 ARS 1.5M

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-71.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$593 ARS 880.3K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-76.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ARS 733.1K

$494 ฿16.5K

0.01%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $305 in San Luis and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Luis pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in San Luis vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $177 vs $291 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 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 0% higher in San Luis, 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: $305 in San Luis versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $104 in San Luis versus $688 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 $40.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $866 in San Luis versus $1,264 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 46% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.