Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puerto Montt Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puerto Montt

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,068 in Puerto Montt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,624 in Puerto Montt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,179 in Puerto Montt.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Puerto Montt 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$8.71 CLP 8,134

-47.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$37.05 CLP 34.6K

24.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$7.76 CLP 7,248

13.92%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.84 CLP 2,656

7.75%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.01 CLP 947

-27.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.99 CLP 921

-59.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$3.27 CLP 3,054

-25.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.08 CLP 3,807

-7.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.20 CLP 1,123

88.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.52 CLP 1,417

19.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.86 CLP 1,736

20.97%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.31 CLP 3,086

-32.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$12.01 CLP 11.2K

62.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.85 CLP 6,392

-46.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.17 CLP 10.4K

16.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.80 CLP 1,680

79.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.42 CLP 1,327

14.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.53 CLP 1,425

55.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.93 CLP 1,797

5.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.24 CLP 1,162

23.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.35 CLP 1,264

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.31 CLP 1,223

-25.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.60 CLP 1,498

-67.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.81 CLP 4,492

-7.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$5.99 CLP 5,589

205.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.49 CLP 1,393

24.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.23 CLP 2,083

20.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.63 CLP 585

123.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.48 CLP 445

547.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.36 CLP 1,270

-3.68%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$19.6K CLP 18.3M

41.73%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$21.4K CLP 19.9M

55.52%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$130 CLP 121.6K

-6.01%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$11.83 CLP 11.0K

14.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$22.29 CLP 20.8K

-16.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$37.86 CLP 35.3K

59.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$21.51 CLP 20.1K

-21.06%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.72 CLP 5,337

58.57%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$437 CLP 408.2K

61.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$49.83 CLP 46.5K

17.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$29.91 CLP 27.9K

18.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$61.7 CLP 57.6K

87.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$83.5 CLP 77.9K

0.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$485 CLP 453.1K

28.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$376 CLP 351.4K

18.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$899 CLP 839.1K

127.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$589 CLP 549.9K

153.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Puerto Montt: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $485 in Puerto Montt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Puerto Montt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $240 per month, with Puerto Montt 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 Puerto Montt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Montt is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,603 in Puerto Montt 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: $626 in Phuket versus $485 in Puerto Montt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $437 in Puerto Montt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Montt – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,068 in Puerto Montt versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Montt but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Montt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Puerto Montt 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 Puerto Montt 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 Puerto Montt 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.