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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,647 in San Salvador versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,459 in San Salvador versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,272 in San Salvador versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in San Salvador is roughly 30% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Salvador is 19% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.93 $6.93

$4.66 ฿154

48.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.17 $43.17

$32.22 ฿1,065

33.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 $6.86

$8.68 ฿287

-20.97%

Cappuccino

$3.61 $3.61

$2.90 ฿95.8

24.48%

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

$1.15 $1.15

$0.84 ฿27.89

36.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 $0.84

$0.49 ฿16.16

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.48 ฿82.0

-17.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.73 ฿123

-5.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.89 ฿62.3

-5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.41 ฿46.54

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.62 ฿53.6

-14.20%

Eggs

$3.11 $3.11

$2.24 ฿74.1

38.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 $7.64

$19.84 ฿656

-61.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 $6.80

$3.48 ฿115

95.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.06 $10.06

$11.37 ฿376

-11.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$2.90 ฿95.8

78.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.72 ฿57.0

-13.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.27 ฿75.1

26.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.13 ฿70.4

66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.47 ฿48.72

97.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$1.42 ฿46.92

135.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.10 ฿36.25

-12.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.60 ฿19.76

55.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 $3.99

$4.31 ฿142

-7.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 $11.92

$18.60 ฿615

-35.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.80 ฿59.5

26.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.97 ฿98.0

-4.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$2.25 ฿74.2

-85.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.84 $37.84

$23.49 ฿776

61.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.92 $5.92

$3.10 ฿102

90.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.08 ฿35.56

175.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.69 $19.69

$3.87 ฿128

408.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.43 ฿47.16

-18.18%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-8.45%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

0.43%

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

$131 $131

$105 ฿3,462

25.02%

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

$21.19 $21.19

$11.39 ฿376

86.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.39 $42.39

$17.54 ฿580

141.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.01 $32.01

$54.3 ฿1,795

-41.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.78 $21.78

$11.44 ฿378

90.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 $4.86

$7.78 ฿257

-37.53%

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

$162 $162

$576 ฿19.0K

-71.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,682 $4,682

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-59.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$63.6 ฿2,103

5.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.89 $46.89

$29.10 ฿961

61.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$96.2 ฿3,179

22.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$90.0 ฿2,974

29.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 $905

$733 ฿24.2K

23.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 $775

$501 ฿16.5K

54.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,782 $1,782

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-16.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 $1,375

$1,252 ฿41.4K

9.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,731 $2,731

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-22.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 $1,853

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-29.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$382 $382

$508 ฿16.8K

-24.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

5.57

52.60%

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

Last update for San Salvador: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in San Salvador and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in San Salvador vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $275 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 Salvador vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $905 in San Salvador versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $162 in San Salvador versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in San Salvador. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,647 in San Salvador, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Salvador. 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 Salvador, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Salvador 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 30% less than in San Salvador. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.