Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Castro

For one person, living is cheaper in Castro: $875 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Castro
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Castro Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Castro

🇨🇱 Chile

$875

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Castro

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Castro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $875 in Castro, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Castro $875

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,381 in Castro, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Castro $1,381

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $1,887 in Castro, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Castro $1,887

Phuket costs about 38% more than Castro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Phuket and Castro are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Castro 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$8.29 CLP 8,163

-44.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$46.10 CLP 45.4K

-29.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$5.66 CLP 5,568

51.06%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$1.49 CLP 1,464

82.55%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.20 CLP 1,181

-21.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$1.01 CLP 990

-51.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$5.15 CLP 5,066

-49.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$7.29 CLP 7,173

-47.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.08 CLP 1,065

61.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$3.51 CLP 3,451

-59.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.25 CLP 1,232

22.40%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$4.12 CLP 4,056

-47.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$9.67 CLP 9,523

98.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$4.03 CLP 3,965

-18.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$8.49 CLP 8,358

31.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$1.40 CLP 1,373

110.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$2.30 CLP 2,268

-26.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.48 CLP 1,461

55.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.98 CLP 1,947

7.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.13 CLP 1,109

35.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.52 CLP 1,494

-26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.56 CLP 1,531

-64.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.75 CLP 3,688

13.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$7.78 CLP 7,662

133.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.00 CLP 987

74.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$3.13 CLP 3,085

-10.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.66 CLP 654

236.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.30 CLP 1,282

14.62%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$15.5K CLP 15.2M

72.58%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$18.2K CLP 17.9M

46.59%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$131 CLP 128.8K

-24.06%

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

$11.28 ฿377

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$31.25 CLP 30.8K

-44.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

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

$558 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$81.0 CLP 79.7K

18.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$355 CLP 349.2K

105.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$290 CLP 285.5K

58.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$1,002 CLP 986.6K

109.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$576 CLP 566.8K

112.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$614 CLP 604.7K

-19.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-20.43%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Castro: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Castro

$290 33.2% 36.9% $170

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Castro

$234 * 26.7% 12.7% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Castro

$162 * 18.5% 26.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Castro

$36 * 4.2% 70.6% $88

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Castro

$150 17.2% 23.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Castro

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Castro

$2.7 * 0.3% 93.2% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $355 in Castro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 25% higher in Castro, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $46.00 in Castro. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $234 in Castro – so Castro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇱 Castro

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

01:12 1:12 AM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

33,417

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Castro 16,090 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Castro

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Castro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 38% more than Castro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,313 in Castro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Castro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $875 in Castro. That's a gap of about 38%.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Castro, where all-in costs run around $875, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Castro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Castro costs $875 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Castro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.