Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santa Fe Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santa Fe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $801 in Santa Fe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,216 in Santa Fe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,632 in Santa Fe.

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than Santa Fe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santa Fe 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$7.08 ARS 10.1K

-33.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$16.21 ARS 23.1K

179.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$7.53 ARS 10.7K

11.95%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.68 ARS 2,402

74.40%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.33 ARS 1,893

-48.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.16 ARS 1,656

-68.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.19 ARS 1,694

102.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.56 ARS 3,647

45.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.01 ARS 1,443

120.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.99 ARS 1,412

84.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.79 ARS 2,557

21.23%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.46 ARS 2,089

51.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.97 ARS 12.8K

120.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.06 ARS 8,643

-40.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.09 ARS 11.5K

67.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.89 ARS 2,696

73.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.08 ARS 2,973

-22.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.92 ARS 1,309

161.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.72 ARS 3,886

-23.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.51 ARS 734

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.37 ARS 1,960

8.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.92 ARS 1,319

7.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.86 ARS 2,659

-72.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.33 ARS 4,751

32.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$4.86 ARS 6,937

298.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.25 ARS 1,778

42.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.18 ARS 4,535

-14.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.03 ARS 1,462

33.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.99 ARS 1,412

205.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.87 ARS 1,240

13.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.90 ARS 8,410

138.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.07 ARS 1,524

27.10%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$29.8K ARS 42.6M

-5.49%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.5K ARS 42.1M

11.51%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$55.0 ARS 78.5K

121.27%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$7.76 ARS 11.1K

74.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$14.82 ARS 21.1K

23.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$39.67 ARS 56.6K

51.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.54 ARS 19.3K

26.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.02 ARS 7,168

73.11%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$221 ARS 315.2K

213.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,061 ARS 1.5M

1378.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$62.1 ARS 88.6K

-4.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$58.9 ARS 84.0K

-40.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$108 ARS 154.5K

5.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$95.4 ARS 136.0K

-12.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$319 ARS 454.5K

92.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$200 ARS 285.1K

118.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$585 ARS 834.3K

258.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$327 ARS 467.1K

361.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,268 ARS 1.8M

195.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,037 ARS 1.5M

152.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$824 ARS 1.2M

-38.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

100

-94.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $319 in Santa Fe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Fe pays 62% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Santa Fe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $206 per month, with Santa Fe 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 Fe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Fe is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Santa Fe earns 62% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $319 in Santa Fe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $221 in Santa Fe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Fe – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $801 in Santa Fe versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Fe but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Fe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santa Fe 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 Fe 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 Fe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.