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: $1,842 in San Sebastian versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,767 in San Sebastian versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,691 in San Sebastian versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in San Sebastian is roughly 51% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Sebastian is 38% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.45 €14.16

$4.51 ฿147

264.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 €50.5

$46.62 ฿1,515

25.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 €8.35

$8.49 ฿276

14.13%

Cappuccino

$2.25 €1.93

$3.08 ฿100

-26.95%

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

$2.67 €2.30

$0.68 ฿22.07

292.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.36 ฿11.75

475.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.06

$2.43 ฿78.8

46.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.93

$3.63 ฿118

-38.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.98

$2.19 ฿71.1

-48.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.81 ฿59.0

-40.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$2.23 ฿72.5

-2.24%

Eggs

$2.74 €2.36

$2.24 ฿72.7

22.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.22 €17.41

$19.60 ฿637

3.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.10 €6.11

$3.72 ฿121

90.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 €13.15

$13.47 ฿438

13.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.36

$3.36 ฿109

-18.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.62 ฿52.5

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$2.41 ฿78.3

-21.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 €2.68

$1.99 ฿64.6

56.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.53 ฿49.76

23.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.45 ฿47.19

28.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.01 ฿32.96

3.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.57

$0.48 ฿15.73

39.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.64

$4.27 ฿139

53.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 €6.59

$19.12 ฿621

-59.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.84 ฿59.7

-34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.74 ฿89.1

-21.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.42 ฿46.06

46.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.95 €31.82

$11.72 ฿381

215.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 €6.55

$3.00 ฿97.6

153.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 €0.82

$1.05 ฿34.00

-9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.17 €19.95

$13.90 ฿452

66.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.29 ฿41.94

37.21%

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

$39.3K €33.9K

$28.0K ฿911.1K

40.30%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$33.5K ฿1.1M

5.44%

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

$135 €116

$122 ฿3,964

10.53%

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

$27.50 €23.68

$13.93 ฿453

97.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.86 €31.74

$18.87 ฿613

95.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 €46.02

$61.3 ฿1,992

-12.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 €16.99

$16.84 ฿547

17.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 €8.15

$8.89 ฿289

6.52%

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

$454 €391

$691 ฿22.5K

-34.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K €10.3K

$16.2K ฿525.2K

-25.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €97.1

$57.8 ฿1,878

95.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.28 €31.24

$35.39 ฿1,150

2.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 €75.8

$113 ฿3,685

-22.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.9 €75.7

$83.0 ฿2,698

5.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 €1,088

$607 ฿19.7K

108.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 €753

$448 ฿14.6K

95.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,159 €1,859

$2,029 ฿66.0K

6.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 €1,241

$1,493 ฿48.5K

-3.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.0K €8,622

$3,585 ฿116.5K

179.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,507 €3,881

$2,585 ฿84.0K

74.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,922 €2,516

$505 ฿16.4K

478.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.33

-34.33%

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

Last update for San Sebastian: June 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,263 in San Sebastian and $607 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Sebastian pays 479% 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: $59.0 in San Sebastian vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $292, with San Sebastian cheaper for home cooking.

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 Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

San Sebastian pays 479% more on average, 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: $1,263 in San Sebastian versus $607 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $454 in San Sebastian versus $691 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in San Sebastian pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,842 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 51% less than in San Sebastian. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.