Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Punta Arenas

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Punta Arenas: $1,278 and $1,280 a month, rent and utilities included.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Punta Arenas
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Punta Arenas Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Punta Arenas

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,280

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Punta Arenas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Punta Arenas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,280 in Punta Arenas.

Phuket $1,278
Punta Arenas $1,280

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,991 in Punta Arenas.

Phuket $2,216
Punta Arenas $1,991

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,703 in Punta Arenas.

Phuket $3,154
Punta Arenas $2,703

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and Punta Arenas; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Punta Arenas 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$10.80 CLP 10.6K

-58.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$49.59 CLP 48.9K

-34.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.60 CLP 7,495

15.92%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.67 CLP 3,615

-22.89%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$2.07 CLP 2,039

-57.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.37 CLP 1,351

-64.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$3.52 CLP 3,468

-27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.92 CLP 4,852

-25.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.20 CLP 1,181

38.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$1.45 CLP 1,428

0.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.57 CLP 1,548

-4.46%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.01 CLP 3,953

-47.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$14.01 CLP 13.8K

36.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$8.66 CLP 8,540

-61.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$12.73 CLP 12.6K

-14.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$2.46 CLP 2,426

19.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.24 CLP 2,208

-24.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.20 CLP 2,168

2.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$3.18 CLP 3,138

-34.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.42 CLP 1,402

6.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$2.24 CLP 2,206

-38.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$1.62 CLP 1,595

-33.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$1.73 CLP 1,709

-69.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.29 CLP 5,220

-20.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.12 CLP 9,978

85.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.01 CLP 1,978

-9.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.78 CLP 2,744

2.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$0.62 CLP 614

133.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$19.85 CLP 19.6K

185.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.49 CLP 481

516.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$2.07 CLP 2,046

-50.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$12.25 CLP 12.1K

-69.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.40 CLP 1,380

5.00%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$17.5K CLP 17.3M

53.01%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$23.1K CLP 22.8M

15.51%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$145 CLP 143.2K

-33.64%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$10.02 CLP 9,889

12.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$20.22 CLP 19.9K

-16.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$45.15 CLP 44.5K

48.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$44.85 CLP 44.2K

-76.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.36 CLP 6,271

17.92%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$402 CLP 396.1K

18.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$6,174 CLP 6.1M

82.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$57.8 CLP 57.0K

7.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$40.65 CLP 40.1K

-30.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$94.2 CLP 92.9K

0.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$125 CLP 123.6K

-31.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$571 CLP 563.2K

25.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$381 CLP 376.1K

28.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$951 CLP 938.0K

102.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$653 CLP 644.5K

118.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$376 CLP 371.2K

1009.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$802 CLP 790.8K

-37.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.4

63.82%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Punta Arenas: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Punta Arenas

$381 29.8% 22.3% $110

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Punta Arenas

$294 23% 10.6% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Punta Arenas

$175 13.7% 41% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Punta Arenas

$143 11.2% 17.4% $21

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Punta Arenas

$194 15.2% 59.7% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Punta Arenas

$58 4.5% 29.6% $24

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Punta Arenas

$33 2.6% 53% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $571 in Punta Arenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Punta Arenas pays 60% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $50 in Punta Arenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $294 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇱 Punta Arenas

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

17:32 5:32 PM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

123,403

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.14 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 986 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,106 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Punta Arenas 14,890 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Punta Arenas

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Punta Arenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $571 in Punta Arenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $402 in Punta Arenas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $50 in Punta Arenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Phuket gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Punta Arenas on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.