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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $738 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,156 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,574 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Living in Phuket is roughly 71% more expensive than Santa Cruz, Laguna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santa Cruz, Laguna 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$1.80 ₱111

161.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$8.66 ₱534

423.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.05 ₱188

176.39%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.19 ₱135

33.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.43 ₱26.47

60.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.26 ₱15.85

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.27 ₱78.4

89.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.08 ₱66.7

244.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.81 ₱111

23.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.21 ₱74.5

51.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.07 ₱66.0

102.80%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.74 ₱107

27.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$5.38 ₱332

266.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.31 ₱266

-15.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.16 ₱442

88.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.57 ₱97.1

108.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.51 ₱31.34

215.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.56 ₱96.2

54.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.69 ₱104

23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.86 ₱177

-46.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$4.16 ₱256

-64.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.56 ₱96.3

-36.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.04 ₱64.2

-50.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.18 ₱196

38.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.92 ₱550

117.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.54 ₱95.3

15.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.98 ₱122

36.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.26 ₱15.84

426.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.77 ₱47.63

292.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.22 ₱13.53

350.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.19 ₱135

543.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.09 ₱67.1

24.77%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$25.4K ₱1.6M

10.97%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.4K ₱1.3M

61.49%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$94.5 ₱5,826

28.80%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$33.54 ₱2,068

-59.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$29.99 ₱1,849

-38.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$34.24 ₱2,111

75.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.49 ₱277

281.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.91 ₱426

25.76%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$81.2 ₱5,005

754.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$2,818 ₱173.7K

456.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$32.30 ₱1,992

84.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$29.26 ₱1,804

18.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$97.3 ₱5,998

17.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$92.8 ₱5,719

-10.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$271 ₱16.7K

126.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$179 ₱11.0K

144.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$579 ₱35.7K

261.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$399 ₱24.6K

278.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,557 ₱157.7K

46.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,067 ₱65.8K

145.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz, Laguna: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $271 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Santa Cruz, Laguna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $191 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 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,107 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: $613 in Phuket versus $271 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $81.2 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 $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $738 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $1,265 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 71% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.