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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $818 in Santa Cruz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,366 in Santa Cruz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,914 in Santa Cruz.

Living in Phuket is roughly 55% more expensive than Santa Cruz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santa Cruz 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.93 BOB 20.11

60.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$26.95 BOB 185

68.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$7.08 BOB 48.54

19.07%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.72 BOB 18.63

7.72%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.82 BOB 5.65

-15.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.66 BOB 4.54

-43.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.43 BOB 9.82

68.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.94 BOB 13.29

91.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.08 BOB 7.42

106.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.34 BOB 9.23

36.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.34 BOB 9.18

61.94%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.84 BOB 12.66

20.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$4.58 BOB 31.40

331.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.14 BOB 28.40

-12.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.28 BOB 43.05

115.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.75 BOB 18.89

19.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.92 BOB 6.31

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.13 BOB 7.73

113.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.04 BOB 7.10

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.92 BOB 6.31

66.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.94 BOB 6.43

57.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.80 BOB 5.50

23.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.11 BOB 7.64

-54.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.13 BOB 14.61

107.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.44 BOB 51.1

160.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.47 BOB 10.07

21.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.05 BOB 14.06

32.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.30 BOB 2.05

356.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$21.23 BOB 146

-46.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.88 BOB 19.73

4.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.47 BOB 10.07

-32.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$7.29 BOB 50.0

93.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.55 BOB 3.77

147.27%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$29.5K BOB 202.4K

-4.42%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.1K BOB 185.9K

21.43%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$54.1 BOB 371

124.79%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$22.94 BOB 157

-40.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$33.45 BOB 229

-45.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$31.55 BOB 216

90.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$21.52 BOB 148

-20.35%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.04 BOB 48.28

23.44%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$201 BOB 1,377

245.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,258 BOB 29.2K

268.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$42.30 BOB 290

40.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$48.34 BOB 332

-28.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$84.6 BOB 580

35.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$60.0 BOB 411

38.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$401 BOB 2,753

52.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$261 BOB 1,793

67.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$754 BOB 5,170

177.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$641 BOB 4,394

135.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,511 BOB 10.4K

148.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$844 BOB 5,788

210.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$526 BOB 3,608

-3.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $401 in Santa Cruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Santa Cruz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $167 per month, with Santa Cruz 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 Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Santa Cruz earns 4% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $401 in Santa Cruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $201 in Santa Cruz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $818 in Santa Cruz versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.