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: $1,496 in San Salvador versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,211 in San Salvador versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,925 in San Salvador versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in San Salvador is roughly 18% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Salvador is 12% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 $8.01

$4.66 ฿150

71.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.37 $35.37

$46.44 ฿1,496

-23.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 $6.91

$8.68 ฿280

-20.39%

Cappuccino

$3.24 $3.24

$2.95 ฿95.0

9.83%

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

$1.10 $1.10

$0.70 ฿22.52

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.39 ฿12.70

123.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.53 ฿81.6

-22.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.78 ฿122

-22.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.22 ฿71.5

-18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.80 ฿57.8

10.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.19 ฿70.4

-32.42%

Eggs

$2.88 $2.88

$2.31 ฿74.5

24.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$19.34 ฿623

-63.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$3.77 ฿121

72.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 $10.73

$13.22 ฿426

-18.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.33 ฿107

-2.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.65 ฿53.1

4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.29 ฿73.7

14.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.99 ฿64.1

33.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.53 ฿49.24

47.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.51 ฿48.77

45.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.03 ฿33.12

-7.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.51 ฿16.57

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 $3.95

$4.41 ฿142

-10.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 $10.95

$19.41 ฿625

-43.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.80 ฿58.0

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.68 ฿86.4

-7.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$1.43 ฿46.11

-74.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.51 $24.51

$11.70 ฿377

109.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.63 $5.63

$3.04 ฿97.9

85.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.04 ฿33.37

189.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.90 $19.90

$13.68 ฿441

45.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.30 ฿41.85

-23.08%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-6.86%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-15.31%

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

$104 $104

$123 ฿3,962

-15.48%

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

$18.89 $18.89

$13.82 ฿445

36.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.11 $42.11

$18.86 ฿608

123.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.65 $31.65

$61.2 ฿1,970

-48.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 $20.34

$16.81 ฿541

21.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 $5.29

$8.87 ฿286

-40.36%

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

$147 $147

$696 ฿22.4K

-78.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 $5,975

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-62.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 $68.0

$59.3 ฿1,910

14.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.13 $43.13

$34.85 ฿1,123

23.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$113 ฿3,646

3.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$85.1 ฿2,740

22.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$844 $844

$615 ฿19.8K

37.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 $709

$448 ฿14.4K

58.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 $1,464

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-29.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 $1,110

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-25.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,830 $2,830

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-24.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,835 $1,835

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-31.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$376 $376

$534 ฿17.2K

-29.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.58

5.33

60.98%

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

Last update for San Salvador: April 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $844 in San Salvador and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35 in San Salvador vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $291 per month, with San Salvador 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 Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 42% less. 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: $844 in San Salvador versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $147 in San Salvador versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in San Salvador pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,496 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 18% less than in San Salvador. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.