Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Pedro de Atacama

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pedro de Atacama: $1,078 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in San Pedro de Atacama
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San Pedro de Atacama Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

San Pedro de Atacama

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,078

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in San Pedro de Atacama

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 San Pedro de Atacama actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,078 in San Pedro de Atacama.

Phuket $1,294
San Pedro de Atacama $1,078

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,628 in San Pedro de Atacama.

Phuket $2,204
San Pedro de Atacama $1,628

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $2,178 in San Pedro de Atacama.

Phuket $3,115
San Pedro de Atacama $2,178

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than in San Pedro de Atacama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, San Pedro de Atacama 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$7.15 CLP 6,930

-38.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,086

$44.87 CLP 43.5K

-27.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

$8.20 CLP 7,950

6.10%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.6

$2.80 CLP 2,715

-2.86%

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

$0.93 ฿31.28

$1.58 CLP 1,531

-41.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.79

$1.17 CLP 1,138

-57.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

$3.46 CLP 3,354

-26.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$3.89 CLP 3,774

-6.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$1.18 CLP 1,143

47.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.77

$1.47 CLP 1,430

-1.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.64 CLP 1,588

-8.54%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$3.70 CLP 3,591

-41.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿642

$10.32 CLP 10.0K

84.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$6.68 CLP 6,478

-49.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$11.69 CLP 11.3K

-6.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.9

$1.99 CLP 1,927

47.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.57 CLP 1,519

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.8

$1.77 CLP 1,714

23.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$1.73 CLP 1,681

22.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.03

$1.66 CLP 1,610

-12.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.99

$1.54 CLP 1,497

-11.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.17

$1.36 CLP 1,314

-20.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.34

$1.23 CLP 1,188

-55.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$5.18 CLP 5,026

-14.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

$5.22 CLP 5,063

249.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

$1.62 CLP 1,568

9.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$2.17 CLP 2,100

32.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

$0.62 CLP 606

133.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.70 CLP 674

115.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$1.38 CLP 1,335

7.97%

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

$26.9K ฿903.7K

$17.9K CLP 17.3M

50.30%

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

$26.3K ฿885.7K

$19.3K CLP 18.7M

36.60%

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

$97.8 ฿3,288

$134 CLP 130.2K

-27.17%

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

$11.29 ฿380

$13.70 CLP 13.3K

-17.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿578

$21.72 CLP 21.1K

-20.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

$38.10 CLP 36.9K

79.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$23.29 CLP 22.6K

-53.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$5.32 CLP 5,160

39.66%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$386 CLP 373.9K

37.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿631.4K

$8,304 CLP 8.0M

126.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,073

$47.49 CLP 46.0K

29.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿950

$25.06 CLP 24.3K

12.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,228

$60.7 CLP 58.8K

58.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,919

$81.5 CLP 79.0K

6.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$484 CLP 469.1K

49.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$375 CLP 363.3K

35.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

$889 CLP 862.2K

119.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

$584 CLP 566.5K

139.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

$2,309 CLP 2.2M

81.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.01

11.18%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Pedro de Atacama: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

San Pedro de Atacama

$375 34.8% 26.4% $134

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

San Pedro de Atacama

$234 21.7% 12.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

San Pedro de Atacama

$170 15.7% 34.4% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

San Pedro de Atacama

$97 9% 21.3% $26

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

San Pedro de Atacama

$152 14.1% 26.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

San Pedro de Atacama

$49 4.5% 41.4% $34

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

San Pedro de Atacama

$3.2 * 0.3% 95.2% $63

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $484 in San Pedro de Atacama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $45 in San Pedro de Atacama. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $234, with San Pedro de Atacama cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇱 San Pedro de Atacama

🕒 Local time

03:47 3:47 AM

17:47 5:47 PM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

5,347

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.32 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.16 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 969 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,091 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.16 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket San Pedro de Atacama 17,810 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
San Pedro de Atacama

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 San Pedro de Atacama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Pedro de Atacama is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $1,617 in San Pedro de Atacama 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: $721 in Phuket versus $484 in San Pedro de Atacama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $386 in San Pedro de Atacama. 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 $45 in San Pedro de Atacama. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though San Pedro de Atacama 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and San Pedro de Atacama are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.