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 $1,056 in Santa Fe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,621 in Santa Fe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,186 in Santa Fe.

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than in Santa Fe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Santa Fe 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$10.12 ARS 15.3K

-53.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$37.79 ARS 57.0K

-14.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$12.60 ARS 19.0K

-31.11%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.78 ARS 2,682

62.92%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.50 ARS 2,255

-44.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.38 ARS 2,074

-64.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$3.36 ARS 5,066

-26.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$5.10 ARS 7,699

-26.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.02 ARS 1,532

85.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.59 ARS 2,397

-11.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.02 ARS 1,543

58.82%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.54 ARS 2,327

45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$8.29 ARS 12.5K

139.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.11 ARS 9,222

-43.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$10.38 ARS 15.7K

9.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.00 ARS 3,011

45.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.53 ARS 2,313

12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$0.87 ARS 1,310

160.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.42 ARS 3,644

-11.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.54 ARS 821

172.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.69 ARS 1,040

105.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.02 ARS 1,537

7.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.03 ARS 1,550

-41.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.22 ARS 4,857

33.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$4.82 ARS 7,269

285.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.26 ARS 1,903

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.04 ARS 3,084

45.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.02 ARS 1,545

120.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.01 ARS 1,527

206.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.98 ARS 1,475

10.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$7.30 ARS 11.0K

-46.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.15 ARS 1,733

24.35%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$20.0K ARS 30.2M

38.79%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$30.1K ARS 45.4M

-10.41%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$60.7 ARS 91.6K

72.62%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$19.75 ARS 29.8K

-42.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$20.87 ARS 31.5K

-15.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$34.07 ARS 51.4K

59.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.75 ARS 7,162

63.79%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$300 ARS 453.3K

91.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$4,212 ARS 6.4M

174.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$88.4 ARS 133.4K

-28.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$61.0 ARS 92.1K

-52.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$118 ARS 178.0K

-18.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$139 ARS 209.6K

-35.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$512 ARS 772.2K

43.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$366 ARS 551.4K

37.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$903 ARS 1.4M

135.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$592 ARS 892.4K

111.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,384 ARS 3.6M

48.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$826 ARS 1.2M

-38.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

56.56

-90.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $512 in Santa Fe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Fe pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Santa Fe. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $197, with Santa Fe 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 Fe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Fe is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 63% lower in Santa Fe. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $512 in Santa Fe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $300 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 $38.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,056 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 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.