Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santa Cruz de La Palma Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santa Cruz de La Palma

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,651 in Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,413 in Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $3,175 in Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 23% less than in Santa Cruz de La Palma, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Santa Cruz de La Palma is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$15.19 €13.24

-70.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$58.9 €51.4

-22.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$10.45 €9.11

-16.17%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$2.23 €1.95

33.18%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$2.41 €2.10

-71.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$1.64 €1.43

-76.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$3.50 €3.05

-27.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.41 €2.97

9.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.21 €1.06

77.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.39 €1.21

30.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.66 €1.44

31.33%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.97 €2.59

-24.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$13.49 €11.76

48.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.49 €7.40

-57.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$14.77 €12.87

-8.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$2.55 €2.23

27.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.97 €1.72

-16.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.92 €1.67

21.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$2.67 €2.33

-22.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.78 €1.55

-12.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.99 €1.73

-26.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.35 €1.17

-27.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.75 €0.66

-36.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$6.45 €5.62

-32.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$6.32 €5.51

193.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.26 €1.10

47.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.13 €1.85

24.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$1.70 €1.48

-16.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$34.73 €30.28

-66.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$4.03 €3.51

-21.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$1.19 €1.04

-13.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$24.92 €21.72

-44.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.81 €1.58

-25.97%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$39.4K €34.3K

-29.38%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$29.9K €26.1K

11.46%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$134 €117

-8.45%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$20.70 €18.05

-33.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$31.10 €27.11

-41.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$46.93 €40.91

29.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$15.27 €13.31

12.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$9.50 €8.28

-6.63%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$397 €346

73.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$7,483 €6,524

110.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$83.8 €73.0

-29.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$35.46 €30.92

-2.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$90.6 €79.0

27.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$109 €95.4

-23.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$842 €734

-26.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$691 €602

-35.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$1,298 €1,132

56.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$999 €871

49.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$3,400 €2,964

1.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$2,173 €1,894

16.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,356 €1,182

-63.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.5

52.29%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz de La Palma: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $842 in Santa Cruz de La Palma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz de La Palma pays 175% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $59.0 in Santa Cruz de La Palma. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $264, with Santa Cruz de La Palma cheaper for home cooking.

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 de La Palma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 175% lower in Santa Cruz de La Palma. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $842 in Santa Cruz de La Palma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $397 in Santa Cruz de La Palma. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santa Cruz de La Palma pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,651 in Santa Cruz de La Palma, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Cruz de La Palma. 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 Cruz de La Palma, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Santa Cruz de La Palma 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 31% less than in Santa Cruz de La Palma. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.