Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puente Alto Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puente Alto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,104 in Puente Alto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,684 in Puente Alto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $2,265 in Puente Alto.

Living in Phuket is roughly 14% more expensive than in Puente Alto, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Puente Alto 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$7.28 CLP 6,718

-39.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$52.7 CLP 48.6K

-33.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$8.58 CLP 7,913

4.43%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.88 CLP 2,656

4.17%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.44 CLP 1,325

-46.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$1.35 CLP 1,246

-65.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$3.49 CLP 3,217

-31.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$3.72 CLP 3,433

0.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.34 CLP 1,234

35.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$1.68 CLP 1,548

-15.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.72 CLP 1,589

-9.88%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$3.89 CLP 3,586

-45.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$12.52 CLP 11.6K

57.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$7.14 CLP 6,585

-51.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$11.17 CLP 10.3K

-0.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$1.91 CLP 1,766

52.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.60 CLP 1,473

3.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.70 CLP 1,571

33.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.67 CLP 1,539

25.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$1.00 CLP 924

47.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$1.47 CLP 1,358

-4.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.34 CLP 1,233

-18.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$1.16 CLP 1,066

-53.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$5.50 CLP 5,076

-18.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$6.12 CLP 5,645

205.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.69 CLP 1,563

8.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$2.31 CLP 2,129

27.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.60 CLP 552

276.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$0.71 CLP 652

328.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.72 CLP 1,586

-13.37%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$18.5K CLP 17.1M

48.39%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$19.5K CLP 18.0M

41.39%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$105 CLP 96.5K

-2.67%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$14.26 CLP 13.2K

-20.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$21.84 CLP 20.2K

-18.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$37.11 CLP 34.2K

45.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$8.22 CLP 7,582

-4.50%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$464 CLP 427.9K

24.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$9,327 CLP 8.6M

24.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$57.6 CLP 53.2K

13.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$30.38 CLP 28.0K

-4.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$55.0 CLP 50.7K

80.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$86.6 CLP 79.9K

4.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$559 CLP 515.6K

35.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$360 CLP 332.6K

35.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$922 CLP 851.1K

126.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$674 CLP 621.7K

79.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.15

8.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Puente Alto: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $559 in Puente Alto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $53.0 in Puente Alto. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $244, with Puente Alto cheaper for home cooking.

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 Puente Alto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puente Alto is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,656 in Puente Alto to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Phuket versus $559 in Puente Alto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $464 in Puente Alto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puente Alto – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $35.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,104 in Puente Alto versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puente Alto but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puente Alto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Puente Alto is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Puente Alto 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 Puente Alto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.