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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $582 in Santa Cruz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,056 in Santa Cruz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,531 in Santa Cruz.

Living in Phuket is roughly 115% more expensive than in Santa Cruz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Santa Cruz 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿151

$2.12 BOB 25.88

115.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,082

$16.61 BOB 203

96.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿295

$4.65 BOB 56.8

91.40%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿93.0

$1.82 BOB 22.16

53.85%

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

$0.88 ฿29.19

$0.49 BOB 5.96

79.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.23

$0.43 BOB 5.28

13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿79.2

$0.98 BOB 12.02

143.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿123

$1.24 BOB 15.10

199.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿59.3

$0.78 BOB 9.49

129.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.81

$0.93 BOB 11.32

54.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.6

$1.06 BOB 12.93

49.06%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿70.5

$1.06 BOB 12.94

100.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿661

$3.28 BOB 40.07

507.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿114

$2.71 BOB 33.03

26.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿376

$5.02 BOB 61.3

125.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.8

$1.67 BOB 20.41

76.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.1

$0.67 BOB 8.22

156.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿77.1

$0.81 BOB 9.84

186.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿69.0

$0.75 BOB 9.15

177.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$0.69 BOB 8.38

113.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.05

$0.60 BOB 7.38

126.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.45

$0.55 BOB 6.67

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿19.06

$0.64 BOB 7.87

-10.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿142

$1.98 BOB 24.13

115.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿611

$4.27 BOB 52.1

331.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.04 BOB 12.71

79.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.9

$1.60 BOB 19.48

82.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.6

$0.26 BOB 3.20

753.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿759

$22.36 BOB 273

2.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.67 BOB 20.37

81.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.63

$0.97 BOB 11.79

10.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿130

$6.15 BOB 75.1

-36.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.49

$0.55 BOB 6.74

170.91%

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

$27.1K ฿899.8K

$15.5K BOB 189.0K

75.11%

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

$27.5K ฿910.6K

$19.4K BOB 236.3K

41.74%

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

$103 ฿3,410

$34.44 BOB 420

198.49%

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

$10.99 ฿365

$19.90 BOB 243

-44.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿581

$19.08 BOB 233

-8.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,776

$19.23 BOB 235

178.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

$12.69 BOB 155

-11.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿248

$5.95 BOB 72.6

25.71%

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

$557 ฿18.5K

$126 BOB 1,532

343.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿393.2K

$2,948 BOB 36.0K

302.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,125

$26.02 BOB 317

146.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿964

$31.88 BOB 389

-8.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,183

$65.4 BOB 798

46.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,997

$56.8 BOB 693

58.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.2K

$270 BOB 3,290

170.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.6K

$185 BOB 2,261

169.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿69.3K

$616 BOB 7,516

239.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿40.1K

$681 BOB 8,311

77.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿119.3K

$1,288 BOB 15.7K

179.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿83.3K

$744 BOB 9,071

237.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.7K

$291 BOB 3,555

72.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.17

-9.72%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $270 in Santa Cruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 73% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Santa Cruz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $114 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, Getting Around. The 115% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $270 in Santa Cruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $126 in Santa Cruz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 141% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $582 in Santa Cruz versus $1,253 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 115% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.