Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Antofagasta Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Antofagasta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $944 in Antofagasta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,493 in Antofagasta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,042 in Antofagasta.

Living in Phuket is roughly 34% more expensive than Antofagasta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Antofagasta 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$7.67 CLP 6,859

-38.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$37.56 CLP 33.6K

20.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$8.03 CLP 7,185

4.98%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.75 CLP 2,458

6.55%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.30 CLP 1,161

-46.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.90 CLP 805

-58.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.64 CLP 1,469

46.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.28 CLP 3,829

-13.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.12 CLP 1,001

99.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.74 CLP 1,558

5.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.32 CLP 1,178

64.39%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$3.01 CLP 2,690

-26.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.98 CLP 8,933

97.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.28 CLP 3,833

-15.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.81 CLP 7,877

53.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.11 CLP 1,888

55.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.28 CLP 2,040

-29.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.45 CLP 2,193

-1.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.20 CLP 1,078

73.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.95 CLP 854

61.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.94 CLP 837

57.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.21 CLP 1,080

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.16 CLP 1,041

-56.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.81 CLP 4,306

-8.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$6.00 CLP 5,364

223.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.53 CLP 1,370

16.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.43 CLP 1,278

89.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.62 CLP 553

120.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.47 CLP 419

542.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.40 CLP 1,249

-2.86%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$19.7K CLP 17.6M

43.49%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.3K CLP 19.1M

54.31%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$47.75 CLP 42.7K

154.87%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$10.47 CLP 9,367

29.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$13.05 CLP 11.7K

40.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$43.14 CLP 38.6K

39.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$21.57 CLP 19.3K

-20.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.42 CLP 4,845

60.33%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$273 CLP 243.9K

154.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$3,289 CLP 2.9M

376.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$41.85 CLP 37.4K

42.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$16.11 CLP 14.4K

115.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$61.1 CLP 54.6K

87.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$72.2 CLP 64.6K

15.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$463 CLP 414.4K

32.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$370 CLP 331.1K

18.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$859 CLP 768.2K

143.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$690 CLP 617.1K

118.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$757 CLP 676.9K

-32.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.18

2.90%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Antofagasta: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $463 in Antofagasta. 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Antofagasta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $210 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

Phuket vs Antofagasta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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.

On paper, Antofagasta earns 49% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $463 in Antofagasta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $273 in Antofagasta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

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.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Antofagasta 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 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.