Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santa Ana Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santa Ana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,559 in Santa Ana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,599 in Santa Ana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,640 in Santa Ana.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 21% less than in Santa Ana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Santa Ana is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.24 ₡4,658

-54.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$58.8 ₡26.7K

-20.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.23 ₡4,198

-4.23%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.79 ₡1,723

-20.84%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.90 ₡863

-61.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.52 ₡692

-75.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.95 ₡1,340

-17.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.74 ₡2,156

-23.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.97 ₡896

14.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.81 ₡1,279

-34.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.16 ₡984

3.70%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.95 ₡1,341

-21.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.65 ₡4,389

103.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$9.22 ₡4,194

-60.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$13.91 ₡6,326

-5.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$4.53 ₡2,060

-25.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.44 ₡657

13.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.58 ₡717

52.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$3.54 ₡1,612

-42.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.85 ₡1,297

-45.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$3.21 ₡1,459

-53.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.02 ₡462

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$2.18 ₡993

-77.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.34 ₡2,430

-16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$14.40 ₡6,549

31.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.42 ₡1,101

-26.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.64 ₡1,199

4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.95 ₡430

47.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$20.20 ₡9,188

-43.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.88 ₡853

65.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.77 ₡805

-43.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$4.07 ₡1,850

246.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.41 ₡641

-4.26%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$31.0K ₡14.1M

-12.30%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$32.7K ₡14.9M

0.58%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$81.3 ₡37.0K

53.78%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$26.40 ₡12.0K

-48.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$46.04 ₡20.9K

-59.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$55.9 ₡25.4K

9.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$23.65 ₡10.8K

-28.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$9.91 ₡4,506

-7.27%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$571 ₡259.5K

22.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$12.9K ₡5.9M

20.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$61.6 ₡28.0K

-6.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$51.0 ₡23.2K

-30.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$121 ₡54.9K

-6.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$106 ₡48.1K

-18.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$909 ₡413.3K

-32.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$639 ₡290.4K

-30.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,519 ₡690.6K

34.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,422 ₡646.8K

4.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,491 ₡677.9K

77.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,541 ₡700.5K

-66.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-46.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Santa Ana: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $909 in Santa Ana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Ana pays 194% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $59.0 in Santa Ana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $332 per month, with Phuket 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 Santa Ana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Santa Ana earns 194% 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 $909 in Santa Ana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $571 in Santa Ana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Santa Ana. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,559 in Santa Ana, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Ana. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Santa Ana 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Santa Ana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.