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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $814 in Santa Fe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,245 in Santa Fe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,677 in Santa Fe.

Living in Phuket is roughly 54% more expensive than in Santa Fe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santa Fe 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.84 ARS 10.1K

-33.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$16.80 ARS 24.8K

174.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$7.58 ARS 11.2K

16.62%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.63 ARS 2,414

87.73%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.33 ARS 1,961

-45.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$1.17 ARS 1,731

-65.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.25 ARS 1,845

94.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.47 ARS 3,657

53.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.99 ARS 1,463

128.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.97 ARS 1,435

86.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.81 ARS 2,669

24.31%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.53 ARS 2,260

47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.83 ARS 13.0K

120.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.84 ARS 8,628

-37.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.18 ARS 12.1K

59.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.89 ARS 2,795

70.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.17 ARS 3,212

-25.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$0.98 ARS 1,449

142.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$2.64 ARS 3,900

-23.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.52 ARS 764

194.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.42 ARS 2,101

5.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.91 ARS 1,351

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.87 ARS 2,765

-72.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.34 ARS 4,930

32.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$4.89 ARS 7,226

274.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.26 ARS 1,862

47.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$3.16 ARS 4,668

-15.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.02 ARS 1,512

38.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.99 ARS 1,459

214.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.92 ARS 1,366

13.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$6.16 ARS 9,109

129.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.06 ARS 1,570

23.58%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$30.2K ARS 44.7M

-7.99%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$29.3K ARS 43.3M

13.36%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$54.7 ARS 80.9K

123.84%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$8.07 ARS 11.9K

68.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$14.71 ARS 21.7K

27.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$40.01 ARS 59.1K

51.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$13.55 ARS 20.0K

25.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.86 ARS 7,187

86.63%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$216 ARS 318.8K

227.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$1,092 ARS 1.6M

1347.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$62.0 ARS 91.6K

-5.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$60.2 ARS 89.0K

-41.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$109 ARS 160.8K

6.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$96.1 ARS 142.1K

-12.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$313 ARS 462.9K

99.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$201 ARS 297.0K

121.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$581 ARS 858.1K

251.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$322 ARS 476.3K

363.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$1,247 ARS 1.8M

179.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,035 ARS 1.5M

148.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$831 ARS 1.2M

-39.86%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $313 in Santa Fe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Fe pays 66% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Santa Fe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 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 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 66% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $313 in Santa Fe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $216 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 $17.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $814 in Santa Fe versus $1,250 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 54% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.