Cost of Living Comparison Between San Martino in Rio and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between San Martino in Rio and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,730 in San Martino in Rio versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,622 in San Martino in Rio versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,515 in San Martino in Rio versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in San Martino in Rio is roughly 38% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Martino in Rio is 29% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.09 €14.96

$4.55 ฿153

275.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.7 €69.8

$46.18 ฿1,553

72.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.50 €10.07

$8.84 ฿297

30.09%

Cappuccino

$2.04 €1.79

$3.06 ฿103

-33.33%

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

$3.38 €2.96

$0.73 ฿24.40

363.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.24

$0.40 ฿13.39

255.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.03

$2.43 ฿81.8

136.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.11

$3.78 ฿127

54.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.33

$2.26 ฿76.0

-32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.77

$1.81 ฿60.9

11.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 €1.66

$2.25 ฿75.8

-16.00%

Eggs

$3.81 €3.34

$2.25 ฿75.5

69.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 €17.22

$19.51 ฿656

0.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.48 €9.18

$3.65 ฿123

187.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.24 €18.61

$13.05 ฿439

62.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 €1.75

$3.23 ฿109

-38.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.62 ฿54.4

25.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.31

$2.38 ฿80.1

10.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 €3.03

$2.03 ฿68.1

70.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.53 ฿51.6

54.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 €1.52

$1.50 ฿50.5

15.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 €0.93

$0.98 ฿32.91

8.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 €0.44

$0.52 ฿17.39

-3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.18

$4.44 ฿149

59.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 €6.13

$18.32 ฿616

-61.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.86 ฿62.7

-1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 €2.69

$2.68 ฿90.1

14.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.41 ฿47.46

25.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.34 €37.96

$11.70 ฿393

270.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 €5.10

$3.11 ฿105

87.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.91

$1.04 ฿35.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.58 €20.65

$14.11 ฿474

67.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.84

$1.31 ฿44.10

60.31%

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

$29.0K €25.4K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

4.19%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

17.36%

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

$226 €198

$122 ฿4,118

84.21%

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

$11.47 €10.04

$13.59 ฿457

-15.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.17 €24.67

$18.70 ฿629

50.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 €47.20

$60.5 ฿2,034

-10.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 €20.35

$16.98 ฿571

36.87%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.48

$9.07 ฿305

19.40%

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

$521 €457

$706 ฿23.8K

-26.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,159 €7,146

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-48.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.9 €76.1

$58.6 ฿1,969

48.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.86 €33.16

$35.36 ฿1,189

7.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 €105

$115 ฿3,883

3.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €99.9

$83.7 ฿2,816

36.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €649

$626 ฿21.0K

18.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 €504

$445 ฿15.0K

29.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 €1,061

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-40.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$923 €808

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-38.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 €2,713

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-11.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,275 €1,993

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-11.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

5.33

-21.76%

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

Last update for San Martino in Rio: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in San Martino in Rio and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in San Martino in Rio vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $289 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 Martino in Rio vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,594 in San Martino in Rio and $1,875 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: $742 in San Martino in Rio versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $521 in San Martino in Rio versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in San Martino in Rio. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,730 in San Martino in Rio, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Martino in Rio. 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 Martino in Rio, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Martino in Rio 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 38% less than in San Martino in Rio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.