Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Coquimbo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Coquimbo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,068 in Coquimbo.

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

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,165 in Coquimbo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 15% more expensive than Coquimbo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Coquimbo 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$8.59 CLP 7,642

-46.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$43.78 CLP 38.9K

6.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.91 CLP 7,030

11.76%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.70 CLP 2,405

11.11%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.35 CLP 1,200

-45.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.01 CLP 901

-63.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.19 CLP 2,841

-23.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.15 CLP 3,688

-13.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.09 CLP 971

107.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.58 CLP 1,402

16.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.86 CLP 1,651

20.43%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.51 CLP 3,121

-33.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.30 CLP 9,162

90.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.50 CLP 5,779

-43.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.07 CLP 9,845

18.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.80 CLP 1,601

88.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.58 CLP 1,407

3.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.59 CLP 1,416

51.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.50 CLP 1,332

35.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.28 CLP 1,140

21.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.35 CLP 1,203

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.28 CLP 1,135

-20.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.17 CLP 1,043

-58.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.36 CLP 4,763

-16.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$9.14 CLP 8,131

106.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.57 CLP 1,396

13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.20 CLP 1,961

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.62 CLP 549

125.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.51 CLP 454

511.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.39 CLP 1,233

-2.88%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$19.3K CLP 17.2M

40.89%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.3K CLP 18.9M

54.66%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$134 CLP 119.3K

-6.86%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.41 CLP 11.9K

1.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$21.84 CLP 19.4K

-15.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$38.75 CLP 34.5K

58.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$21.16 CLP 18.8K

-20.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.81 CLP 5,171

58.18%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$431 CLP 383.3K

61.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$50.0 CLP 44.5K

15.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$29.98 CLP 26.7K

17.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$61.8 CLP 54.9K

83.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$83.0 CLP 73.8K

4.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$472 CLP 419.4K

30.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$372 CLP 330.6K

19.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$878 CLP 780.4K

133.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$584 CLP 519.6K

155.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$661 CLP 587.7K

-20.75%

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 Coquimbo: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $472 in Coquimbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coquimbo pays 26% 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 $44.00 in Coquimbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $233 per month, with Coquimbo 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 Coquimbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Coquimbo differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,068 including rent). Coquimbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Coquimbo earns 26% 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 $472 in Coquimbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $431 in Coquimbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Coquimbo – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,068 in Coquimbo versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Coquimbo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Coquimbo 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 Coquimbo 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 Coquimbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.