Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santa Isabel

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Santa Isabel: $1,294 and $1,298 a month, rent and utilities included.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Santa Isabel
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Santa Isabel Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Santa Isabel

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,298

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Santa Isabel

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Santa Isabel actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,298 in Santa Isabel.

Phuket $1,294
Santa Isabel $1,298

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $2,045 in Santa Isabel.

Phuket $2,204
Santa Isabel $2,045

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $2,791 in Santa Isabel.

Phuket $3,115
Santa Isabel $2,791

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and Santa Isabel; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Santa Isabel 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$19.18 $19.18

-77.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,085

$82.6 $82.6

-60.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

$9.06 $9.06

-3.97%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$3.61 $3.61

-24.65%

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

$0.93 ฿31.25

$1.89 $1.89

-50.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.78

$1.51 $1.51

-66.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.0

$3.02 $3.02

-16.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$5.07 $5.07

-28.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$1.31 $1.31

32.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.73

$3.40 $3.40

-57.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.42 $2.42

-38.02%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$6.21 $6.21

-65.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿641

$12.41 $12.41

53.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$9.82 $9.82

-65.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$13.10 $13.10

-16.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.8

$5.01 $5.01

-41.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$2.54 $2.54

-33.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.7

$4.94 $4.94

-55.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$4.67 $4.67

-54.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.99

$3.85 $3.85

-62.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.95

$3.88 $3.88

-64.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.14

$3.37 $3.37

-67.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.32

$1.65 $1.65

-66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$12.04 $12.04

-63.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿613

$15.50 $15.50

17.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.5

$3.14 $3.14

-43.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$3.94 $3.94

-26.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.8

$2.44 $2.44

-38.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.06

$0.66 $0.66

18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$39.69 $39.69

-90.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.96

$1.09 $1.09

36.70%

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

$26.9K ฿902.9K

$35.1K $35.1K

-23.37%

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

$26.3K ฿884.9K

$27.9K $27.9K

-5.66%

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

$97.8 ฿3,285

$318 $318

-69.21%

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

$11.29 ฿379

$68.5 $68.5

-83.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿577

$71.1 $71.1

-75.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,295

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$10.62 $10.62

-30.04%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$826 $826

-35.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿630.9K

$12.0K $12.0K

57.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,072

$56.7 $56.7

8.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿949

$62.2 $62.2

-54.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,225

$107 $107

-10.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,916

$115 $115

-24.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.55

-14.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Isabel: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Santa Isabel

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Santa Isabel

$398 30.6% 49.1% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Santa Isabel

$457 35.2% 262% $331

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Santa Isabel

$153 11.8% 25.1% $31

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Santa Isabel

$263 20.2% 120% $143

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Santa Isabel

$21 * 1.6% 74.5% $62

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Santa Isabel

$5.8 * 0.4% 91.3% $60

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $83 in Santa Isabel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $398 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇷 Santa Isabel

🕒 Local time

07:29 7:29 AM

20:29 8:29 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

23,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Santa Isabel 16,690 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Santa Isabel

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Isabel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $1,948 in Santa Isabel 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $83 in Santa Isabel. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $826 in Santa Isabel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Phuket gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Santa Isabel are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.