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: $1,733 in San Martino in Rio versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,649 in San Martino in Rio versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,566 in San Martino in Rio versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in San Martino in Rio is roughly 37% more expensive than 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

$17.47 €15.04

$4.70 ฿153

271.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.6 €71.1

$45.37 ฿1,482

81.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 €10.14

$8.43 ฿275

39.74%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.74

$2.93 ฿95.6

-31.06%

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

$3.52 €3.03

$0.69 ฿22.40

410.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.37 ฿11.99

286.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €4.88

$2.41 ฿78.6

135.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €4.85

$3.72 ฿122

51.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.23 ฿72.9

-31.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.83 ฿59.8

14.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.17 ฿70.8

-17.05%

Eggs

$3.84 €3.30

$2.21 ฿72.3

73.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 €16.65

$19.74 ฿645

-2.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 €9.10

$3.63 ฿119

190.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.73 €17.85

$13.53 ฿442

53.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$3.28 ฿107

-39.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.61 ฿52.6

22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.41 ฿78.6

9.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$2.08 ฿68.1

62.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.53 ฿49.93

51.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.41

$1.48 ฿48.36

10.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 €0.88

$0.99 ฿32.29

3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$0.51 ฿16.67

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.14

$4.41 ฿144

61.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.03 €6.06

$19.38 ฿633

-63.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.78 ฿58.1

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 €2.65

$2.71 ฿88.6

13.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.54

$1.37 ฿44.79

29.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.84 €36.88

$11.39 ฿372

276.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 €4.87

$3.02 ฿98.6

87.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 €0.86

$0.99 ฿32.48

1.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.03 €19.83

$14.10 ฿461

63.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.36 ฿44.51

54.41%

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

$29.2K €25.1K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

3.37%

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

$39.6K €34.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

20.49%

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

$231 €199

$122 ฿3,975

89.97%

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

$11.61 €9.99

$13.57 ฿443

-14.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.98 €24.09

$18.31 ฿598

52.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €46.61

$60.2 ฿1,967

-10.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €19.71

$17.14 ฿560

33.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.63 €9.15

$8.69 ฿284

22.32%

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

$523 €450

$693 ฿22.6K

-24.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,002 €6,889

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-48.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €75.9

$59.5 ฿1,944

48.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.53 €33.17

$34.77 ฿1,136

10.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €106

$115 ฿3,743

7.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €97.6

$83.3 ฿2,720

36.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 €645

$613 ฿20.0K

22.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 €493

$437 ฿14.3K

30.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 €1,044

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-42.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$918 €791

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-39.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,764 €2,379

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-26.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,040 €1,756

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-22.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $750 in San Martino in Rio and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83.0 in San Martino in Rio vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 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 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 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,600 in San Martino in Rio and $1,898 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: $750 in San Martino in Rio versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $523 in San Martino in Rio versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in San Martino in Rio. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,733 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 37% less than in San Martino in Rio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.