Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chillan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chillan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,023 in Chillan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,506 in Chillan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,990 in Chillan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than Chillan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Chillan 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.52 CLP 4,907

-16.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$26.86 CLP 23.9K

74.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.14 CLP 5,457

43.97%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.10 CLP 2,753

-3.23%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.96 CLP 851

-22.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.89 CLP 795

-58.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.61 CLP 3,213

-32.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.11 CLP 3,652

-12.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.15 CLP 1,026

96.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.77 CLP 1,571

3.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.90 CLP 1,693

17.89%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.74 CLP 3,326

-37.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.64 CLP 6,793

157.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.56 CLP 5,837

-44.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.08 CLP 9,853

18.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.87 CLP 1,659

81.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.52 CLP 1,351

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.58 CLP 1,401

52.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.44 CLP 1,284

40.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.27 CLP 1,131

22.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.35 CLP 1,205

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.23 CLP 1,090

-17.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.22 CLP 1,081

-59.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.37 CLP 4,778

-17.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$3.66 CLP 3,250

415.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.56 CLP 1,384

14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.29 CLP 2,039

20.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.67 CLP 592

108.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.50 CLP 447

524.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.37 CLP 1,221

-1.46%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$12.5K CLP 11.2M

116.62%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$15.8K CLP 14.0M

108.88%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$133 CLP 118.6K

-6.32%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.30 CLP 11.8K

2.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$24.58 CLP 21.9K

-24.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$16.61 CLP 14.8K

270.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$20.94 CLP 18.6K

-19.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$12.07 CLP 10.7K

-23.86%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$428 CLP 380.6K

63.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$51.6 CLP 45.9K

11.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$29.72 CLP 26.4K

18.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$50.2 CLP 44.6K

125.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$67.2 CLP 59.8K

28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$484 CLP 430.6K

27.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$368 CLP 326.8K

21.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$465 CLP 413.2K

340.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$589 CLP 523.4K

153.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$2,579 CLP 2.3M

2.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$732 CLP 651.1K

-28.47%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chillan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $484 in Chillan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chillan pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Chillan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $218 per month, with Chillan 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 Chillan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Chillan differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,023 including rent). Chillan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Chillan earns 40% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $484 in Chillan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,023 in Chillan – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,023 in Chillan versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chillan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Chillan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Chillan 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 Chillan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.