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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,610 in San Pedro versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in San Pedro versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,269 in San Pedro versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in San Pedro is roughly 29% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Pedro is 20% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 ₡4,904

$4.55 ฿153

140.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.7 ₡26.2K

$46.18 ฿1,553

27.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 ₡4,434

$8.84 ฿297

12.10%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ₡1,667

$3.06 ฿103

21.90%

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

$2.05 ₡918

$0.73 ฿24.40

180.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₡731

$0.40 ฿13.39

307.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 ₡1,357

$2.43 ฿81.8

24.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 ₡2,129

$3.78 ฿127

25.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 ₡880

$2.26 ฿76.0

-12.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 ₡1,271

$1.81 ฿60.9

56.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ₡975

$2.25 ฿75.8

-3.11%

Eggs

$2.95 ₡1,319

$2.25 ฿75.5

31.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 ₡4,487

$19.51 ฿656

-48.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 ₡4,004

$3.65 ฿123

145.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ₡6,066

$13.05 ฿439

3.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 ₡1,992

$3.23 ฿109

37.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ₡676

$1.62 ฿54.4

-6.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 ₡1,958

$2.38 ฿80.1

84.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 ₡1,533

$2.03 ฿68.1

68.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.53 ₡1,581

$1.53 ฿51.6

130.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,455

$1.50 ฿50.5

116.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₡451

$0.98 ฿32.91

3.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,302

$0.52 ฿17.39

459.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 ₡2,368

$4.44 ฿149

19.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.20 ₡9,931

$18.32 ฿616

21.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 ₡1,134

$1.86 ฿62.7

36.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ₡1,310

$2.68 ฿90.1

9.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ₡423

$1.41 ฿47.46

-32.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₡843

$3.11 ฿105

-39.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡824

$1.04 ฿35.06

76.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 ₡3,603

$14.11 ฿474

-42.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₡634

$1.31 ฿44.10

8.40%

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

$37.7K ₡16.9M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

35.51%

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

$33.1K ₡14.8M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-0.42%

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

$92.3 ₡41.3K

$122 ฿4,118

-24.62%

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

$26.24 ₡11.7K

$13.59 ฿457

93.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 ₡26.5K

$18.70 ฿629

216.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 ₡25.9K

$60.5 ฿2,034

-4.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.34 ₡10.9K

$16.98 ฿571

43.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 ₡4,391

$9.07 ฿305

8.16%

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

$576 ₡257.8K

$706 ฿23.8K

-18.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K ₡5.6M

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-20.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ₡28.5K

$58.6 ฿1,969

8.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 ₡23.0K

$35.36 ฿1,189

45.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.3K

$115 ฿3,883

10.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ₡47.1K

$83.7 ฿2,816

25.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡339.8K

$626 ฿21.0K

21.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 ₡270.3K

$445 ฿15.0K

35.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 ₡672.8K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-26.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$945 ₡422.9K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-36.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

5.33

90.81%

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

Last update for San Pedro: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $760 in San Pedro and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59.0 in San Pedro vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 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 Pedro vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,415 in San Pedro 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: $760 in San Pedro versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in San Pedro versus $706 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 $46.00 versus $59.0 in San Pedro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,610 in San Pedro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Pedro. 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 Pedro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Pedro 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 29% less than in San Pedro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.