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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,870 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,648 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,427 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 33% less than in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Santa Cruz de Tenerife is 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$17.54 €15.12

-74.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$57.4 €49.45

-18.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$10.25 €8.83

-17.37%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.03 €1.75

49.26%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.83 €1.58

-62.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.06 €0.91

-65.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.87 €2.48

-13.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.17 €2.73

15.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.23 €1.06

77.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.70 €1.47

11.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.44 €1.24

52.78%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.14 €2.71

-29.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$16.82 €14.49

18.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$8.64 €7.44

-57.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$14.26 €12.28

-7.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.51 €2.17

28.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.73 €1.49

-1.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.59 €1.37

50.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.60 €2.24

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.61 €1.38

-1.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.67 €1.44

-11.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.47 €1.26

-29.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.71 €0.61

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.14 €4.43

-17.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.28 €7.14

126.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.55 €1.33

13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.74 €1.50

58.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.71 €1.47

-20.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$35.38 €30.48

-67.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$4.74 €4.08

-33.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.28 €1.10

-18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$17.42 €15.01

-20.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.61 €1.39

-16.77%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$38.6K €33.2K

-28.28%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$29.6K €25.5K

14.59%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$91.4 €78.8

35.20%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$21.34 €18.39

-36.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$31.32 €26.99

-40.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$50.6 €43.56

22.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$11.15 €9.61

54.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$10.08 €8.68

-9.33%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$343 €296

104.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$8,434 €7,267

88.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$82.1 €70.8

-27.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$33.51 €28.88

4.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$84.9 €73.2

35.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$69.3 €59.7

21.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$1,169 €1,007

-47.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$983 €847

-56.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,619 €1,395

27.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,321 €1,138

14.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$3,993 €3,440

-8.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$2,223 €1,915

18.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,899 €1,636

-73.30%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz de Tenerife: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,169 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife pays 275% 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 $57.0 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $277, with Santa Cruz de Tenerife 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 Tenerife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Santa Cruz de Tenerife earns 275% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $1,169 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $343 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santa Cruz de Tenerife pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,870 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. 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 Tenerife, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Santa Cruz de Tenerife 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 48% less than in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.