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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $752 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,163 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,574 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Living in Phuket is roughly 66% more expensive than in Santa Cruz, Laguna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santa Cruz, Laguna 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$1.81 ₱111

151.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$8.80 ₱543

424.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$3.07 ₱189

187.95%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.10 ₱129

45.71%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.43 ₱26.27

69.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.28 ₱17.46

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.22 ₱75.5

99.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.09 ₱67.1

246.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.81 ₱112

24.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.25 ₱77.4

44.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.04 ₱64.0

116.35%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.72 ₱106

30.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$5.18 ₱319

276.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.35 ₱268

-16.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.26 ₱448

79.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.58 ₱97.1

104.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.52 ₱31.85

211.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.55 ₱95.7

53.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.63 ₱101

24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.90 ₱179

-47.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$4.00 ₱247

-62.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.57 ₱96.9

-37.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.06 ₱65.4

-50.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.17 ₱196

40.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.17 ₱565

99.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.61 ₱99.6

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.94 ₱120

38.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.26 ₱15.84

442.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.79 ₱48.55

293.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.22 ₱13.50

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.14 ₱132

559.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.10 ₱68.1

19.09%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$25.9K ₱1.6M

7.29%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.5K ₱1.3M

62.05%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$95.2 ₱5,873

28.56%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$33.23 ₱2,050

-59.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$30.15 ₱1,859

-37.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$33.67 ₱2,077

79.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$4.30 ₱265

294.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.89 ₱425

31.64%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$81.0 ₱4,998

771.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$2,775 ₱171.2K

469.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$32.05 ₱1,976

82.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$29.37 ₱1,811

20.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$99.3 ₱6,120

16.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$95.8 ₱5,907

-12.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$265 ₱16.4K

135.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$173 ₱10.7K

157.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$588 ₱36.3K

246.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$400 ₱24.7K

273.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,399 ₱148.0K

45.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,116 ₱68.8K

130.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.13

-34.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz, Laguna: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $265 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Santa Cruz, Laguna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $192 per month, with Santa Cruz, Laguna 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, Laguna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz, Laguna is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,128 in Santa Cruz, Laguna to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $265 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $81.0 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Cruz, Laguna – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $752 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz, Laguna but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz, Laguna the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santa Cruz, Laguna 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, Laguna 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, Laguna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.