🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $944 in Antofagasta versus $1,265 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,493 in Antofagasta versus $2,297 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,042 in Antofagasta versus $3,329 in Phuket.
🙂Living in Antofagasta costs roughly 25% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Antofagasta30% lower, Phuket6% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Antofagasta
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.67CLP 6,804
$4.70฿153
63.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.56CLP 33.3K
$45.37฿1,482
-17.21%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.03CLP 7,127
$8.43฿275
-4.74%
Cappuccino
$2.75CLP 2,438
$2.93฿95.6
-6.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30CLP 1,152
$0.69฿22.40
88.41%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90CLP 799
$0.37฿11.99
143.24%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.64CLP 1,457
$2.41฿78.6
-31.95%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.28CLP 3,798
$3.72฿122
15.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Antofagasta
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.12CLP 993
$2.23฿72.9
-49.78%
White Bread(500g)
$1.74CLP 1,545
$1.83฿59.8
-4.92%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.32CLP 1,168
$2.17฿70.8
-39.17%
Eggs
$3.01CLP 2,669
$2.21฿72.3
36.20%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.98CLP 8,861
$19.74฿645
-49.44%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.28CLP 3,802
$3.63฿119
17.91%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$8.81CLP 7,815
$13.53฿442
-34.89%
Apples(1kg)
$2.11CLP 1,873
$3.28฿107
-35.67%
Banana(1kg)
$2.28CLP 2,024
$1.61฿52.6
41.61%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.45CLP 2,176
$2.41฿78.6
1.66%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.20CLP 1,069
$2.08฿68.1
-42.31%
Potato(1kg)
$0.95CLP 847
$1.53฿49.93
-37.91%
Onion(1kg)
$0.94CLP 831
$1.48฿48.36
-36.49%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.21CLP 1,071
$0.99฿32.29
22.22%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16CLP 1,033
$0.51฿16.67
127.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.81CLP 4,272
$4.41฿144
9.07%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.00CLP 5,321
$19.38฿633
-69.04%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.53CLP 1,359
$1.78฿58.1
-14.04%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43CLP 1,268
$2.71฿88.6
-47.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Antofagasta
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.62CLP 548
$1.37฿44.79
-54.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$11.39฿372
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.47CLP 416
$3.02฿98.6
-84.44%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
-
$0.99฿32.48
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
-
$14.10฿461
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.40CLP 1,240
$1.36฿44.51
2.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7KCLP 17.4M
$28.2K฿921.1K
-30.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.3KCLP 18.9M
$32.9K฿1.1M
-35.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Antofagasta
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$47.75CLP 42.4K
$122฿3,975
-60.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.47CLP 9,292
$13.57฿443
-22.84%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.05CLP 11.6K
$18.31฿598
-28.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Antofagasta
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$43.14CLP 38.3K
$60.2฿1,967
-28.36%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.57CLP 19.1K
$17.14฿560
25.85%
Cinema Ticket
$5.42CLP 4,806
$8.69฿284
-37.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Antofagasta
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$273CLP 241.9K
$693฿22.6K
-60.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$3,289CLP 2.9M
$15.7K฿512.3K
-79.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Antofagasta
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.85CLP 37.1K
$59.5฿1,944
-29.70%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.11CLP 14.3K
$34.77฿1,136
-53.67%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$61.1CLP 54.2K
$115฿3,743
-46.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.2CLP 64.1K
$83.3฿2,720
-13.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Antofagasta
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$463CLP 411.1K
$613฿20.0K
-24.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$370CLP 328.4K
$437฿14.3K
-15.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$859CLP 762.0K
$2,094฿68.4K
-59.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$690CLP 612.2K
$1,509฿49.3K
-54.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,749฿122.5K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,616฿85.4K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Antofagasta
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$757CLP 671.5K
$508฿16.6K
48.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.18
5.33
-2.81%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Antofagasta: May 30, 2026
Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $463 in Antofagasta and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Antofagasta pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.
🛒Dining out: $38.00 in Antofagasta vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $293 per month, with Antofagasta 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
Antofagasta vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Antofagasta or Phuket?
Antofagasta wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Antofagasta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Antofagasta or Phuket?
Antofagasta pays 49% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Antofagasta vs Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $463 in Antofagasta versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Antofagasta and Phuket?
Childcare runs $273 in Antofagasta versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Antofagasta vs Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Antofagasta – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Antofagasta or Phuket?
At $944 in Antofagasta versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Antofagasta but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Antofagasta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Antofagasta or Phuket?
Both work as nomad bases, but Antofagasta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $944 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Antofagasta hard to pass up.
How safe is Antofagasta compared to Phuket?
Safety-wise, Antofagasta 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Antofagasta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Antofagasta vs other spots: cost of living compared