Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Concepcion Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Concepcion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,055 in Concepcion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,617 in Concepcion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,179 in Concepcion.

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than Concepcion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Concepcion 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.76 CLP 6,897

-40.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$44.92 CLP 39.9K

4.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.65 CLP 7,694

2.20%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.73 CLP 2,429

9.89%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.40 CLP 1,242

-47.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.15 CLP 1,022

-67.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.97 CLP 3,528

-38.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.77 CLP 3,354

-4.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.32 CLP 1,177

71.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.50 CLP 1,334

22.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.60 CLP 1,424

40.00%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.77 CLP 3,354

-38.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$11.52 CLP 10.2K

70.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.87 CLP 6,106

-46.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$12.41 CLP 11.0K

5.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.59 CLP 1,415

113.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.36 CLP 1,212

20.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.53 CLP 1,356

57.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.50 CLP 1,333

35.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.13 CLP 1,008

38.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.35 CLP 1,200

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.14 CLP 1,013

-10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.17 CLP 1,043

-58.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.44 CLP 4,835

-18.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$5.19 CLP 4,615

263.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.01 CLP 896

76.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.82 CLP 1,619

51.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.63 CLP 557

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$34.29 CLP 30.5K

-66.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.23 CLP 1,092

153.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.24 CLP 1,989

-55.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$13.02 CLP 11.6K

8.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.40 CLP 1,249

-3.57%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.7K CLP 18.4M

31.60%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.7K CLP 22.9M

28.06%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$104 CLP 92.1K

20.68%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$12.83 CLP 11.4K

5.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$27.88 CLP 24.8K

-33.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$28.24 CLP 25.1K

117.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$10.59 CLP 9,415

59.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.80 CLP 5,155

58.45%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$335 CLP 298.0K

108.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,438 CLP 3.9M

251.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$44.85 CLP 39.9K

28.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$28.28 CLP 25.2K

24.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$60.0 CLP 53.3K

88.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$69.0 CLP 61.4K

25.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$475 CLP 422.0K

29.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$350 CLP 311.0K

27.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$929 CLP 826.3K

120.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$597 CLP 531.0K

149.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,252 CLP 2.0M

67.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$2,010 CLP 1.8M

31.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$580 CLP 516.0K

-9.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.3

0.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Concepcion: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $475 in Concepcion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Concepcion pays 11% 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 $45.00 in Concepcion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $229 per month, with Concepcion 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 Concepcion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Concepcion differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,055 including rent). Concepcion is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Concepcion earns 11% 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 $475 in Concepcion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Concepcion – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,055 in Concepcion versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Concepcion but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Concepcion 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 Concepcion 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 Concepcion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.