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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,045 in San Sebastian versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,005 in San Sebastian versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,966 in San Sebastian versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in San Sebastian is roughly 66% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Sebastian is 50% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 €15.06

$4.41 ฿147

291.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.3 €56.0

$32.26 ฿1,077

99.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 €9.42

$8.93 ฿298

21.05%

Cappuccino

$2.11 €1.84

$2.90 ฿96.6

-27.24%

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

$2.86 €2.49

$0.88 ฿29.38

225.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.47

$0.48 ฿16.06

252.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.35 ฿78.5

46.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 €3.22

$3.72 ฿124

-0.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.02

$1.87 ฿62.3

-37.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.47 ฿48.94

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.60

$1.55 ฿51.8

18.06%

Eggs

$3.77 €3.29

$2.10 ฿70.1

79.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.83 €20.78

$19.59 ฿654

21.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 €7.17

$3.42 ฿114

140.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.81 €19.01

$11.38 ฿380

91.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$2.98 ฿99.6

-12.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.06

$1.68 ฿56.2

40.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 €2.87

$2.21 ฿73.7

49.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 €2.65

$2.16 ฿72.1

40.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.89

$1.52 ฿50.9

42.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.84

$1.34 ฿44.67

57.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.06

$1.13 ฿37.67

7.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.50

$0.55 ฿18.24

3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.52 €5.68

$4.26 ฿142

53.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.49 €6.53

$19.09 ฿637

-60.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.78 ฿59.4

-39.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.62

$2.78 ฿92.9

-33.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 €1.90

$2.23 ฿74.4

-2.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.22 €30.70

$22.74 ฿759

54.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.88 €6.00

$3.03 ฿101

127.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 €0.86

$1.02 ฿34.15

-2.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.83 €19.90

$3.89 ฿130

486.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.49 ฿49.77

14.77%

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

$38.2K €33.3K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

43.64%

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

$29.8K €26.0K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

10.42%

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

$144 €125

$102 ฿3,420

40.35%

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

$21.11 €18.40

$11.33 ฿378

86.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.81 €31.22

$17.40 ฿581

105.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.12 €38.46

$52.1 ฿1,738

-15.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.03 €17.46

$11.07 ฿370

80.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 €7.71

$7.69 ฿257

14.95%

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

$456 €398

$561 ฿18.7K

-18.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K €12.3K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

22.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 €66.2

$63.0 ฿2,104

20.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.78 €28.58

$29.52 ฿986

11.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 €66.7

$98.0 ฿3,272

-22.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €123

$88.5 ฿2,954

58.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,454 €1,268

$738 ฿24.6K

97.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 €889

$482 ฿16.1K

111.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,107 ฿70.3K

11.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 €1,394

$1,226 ฿40.9K

30.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,927 €8,654

$3,617 ฿120.7K

174.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,931 €4,298

$2,603 ฿86.9K

89.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,769 €2,414

$494 ฿16.5K

461.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.92

5.57

-47.58%

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

Last update for San Sebastian: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,454 in San Sebastian and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Sebastian pays 461% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in San Sebastian vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $274 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 Sebastian vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 461% higher in San Sebastian, 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: $1,454 in San Sebastian versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in San Sebastian versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in San Sebastian. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,045 in San Sebastian, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Sebastian. 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 Sebastian, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Sebastian 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 66% less than in San Sebastian. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.