Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $4,547 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $39,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

219

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael, CA
Learn more

San Rafael, CA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,547

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Rafael, CA and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Rafael, CA and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,547 in San Rafael, CA versus $1,278 in Phuket.

San Rafael, CA $4,547
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,255 in San Rafael, CA versus $2,216 in Phuket.

San Rafael, CA $6,255
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,963 in San Rafael, CA versus $3,154 in Phuket.

San Rafael, CA $7,963
Phuket $3,154

Living in San Rafael, CA is roughly 256% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Rafael, CA is 234% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 $25.37

$4.47 ฿151

467.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$32.41 ฿1,094

275.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.67 $11.67

$8.81 ฿297

32.46%

Cappuccino

$4.80 $4.80

$2.83 ฿95.4

69.61%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$0.87 ฿29.42

239.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$0.49 ฿16.66

497.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 $5.64

$2.56 ฿86.3

120.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 $6.97

$3.68 ฿124

89.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.66 ฿56.0

-9.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.59 $4.59

$1.46 ฿49.32

214.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$1.50 ฿50.5

546.67%

Eggs

$5.44 $5.44

$2.09 ฿70.5

160.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.82 $22.82

$19.07 ฿643

19.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.29 $15.29

$3.30 ฿111

363.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.54 $18.54

$10.91 ฿368

69.94%

Apples (1kg)

$7.29 $7.29

$2.93 ฿98.9

148.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.69 ฿57.0

74.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$2.25 ฿75.8

196.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.36 $8.36

$2.08 ฿70.1

301.92%

Potato (1kg)

$5.86 $5.86

$1.51 ฿51.0

288.08%

Onion (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$1.38 ฿46.54

309.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.07 ฿35.97

193.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.99 $3.99

$0.52 ฿17.51

667.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.42 $11.42

$4.20 ฿142

171.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 $12.78

$18.79 ฿634

-31.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.82 ฿61.5

22.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.84 ฿95.9

5.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.45 ฿49.00

41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.37 $40.37

$56.7 ฿1,912

-28.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.02 ฿102

32.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.02 ฿34.34

330.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 $29.55

$3.69 ฿125

700.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.47 ฿49.78

-4.76%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$26.8K ฿903.7K

9.81%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K ฿900.8K

-1.53%

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

$251 $251

$96.4 ฿3,252

160.87%

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

$85.1 $85.1

$11.26 ฿380

655.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.7 $61.7

$16.85 ฿569

266.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 $124

$67.2 ฿2,269

84.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.91 $29.91

$10.73 ฿362

178.75%

Cinema Ticket

$12.93 $12.93

$7.50 ฿253

72.40%

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

$2,091 $2,091

$476 ฿16.1K

339.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$11.3K ฿380.1K

114.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 $60.9

$62.4 ฿2,105

-2.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 $42.54

$28.41 ฿959

49.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 $96.5

$94.3 ฿3,182

2.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$85.8 ฿2,896

51.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,814 $2,814

$716 ฿24.2K

293.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,838 $2,838

$491 ฿16.6K

478.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,116 $4,116

$1,927 ฿65.0K

113.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,993 $3,993

$1,431 ฿48.3K

179.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,383 $8,383

$4,175 ฿140.9K

100.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,743 $5,743

$3,045 ฿102.8K

88.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,930 $6,930

$502 ฿17.0K

1279.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

5.57

18.85%

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

Last update for San Rafael, CA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael, CA

$2.8K 62.4%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 82.7% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael, CA

$577 12.7%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 53.8% $310

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael, CA

$398 8.8%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 68.7% $274

Eating Out

San Rafael, CA

$361 7.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 66.3% $240

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael, CA

$150 3.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 45.1% $67

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael, CA

$149 3.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 18% $27

Getting Around

San Rafael, CA

$75 1.6%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 5.4% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,814 in San Rafael, CA and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Rafael, CA pays about 14 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $122 in San Rafael, CA vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $577 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

20:55 8:55 PM

11:55 11:55 AM

15 h ahead of San Rafael, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,704

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Rafael, CA Phuket 13,380 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

San Rafael, CA
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Rafael, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 72% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in San Rafael, CA is about 14 times higher, 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: $2,814 in San Rafael, CA versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,091 in San Rafael, CA versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 117% higher in San Rafael, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $4,547 in San Rafael, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Rafael, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, San Rafael, CA and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, San Rafael, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.