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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,295 in Santa Lucia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,848 in Santa Lucia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,401 in Santa Lucia.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 2% less than in Santa Lucia, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santa Lucia 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$10.17 CUP 244

-53.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$30.41 CUP 730

49.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.87 CUP 165

22.71%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.22 CUP 77.2

-9.01%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.07 CUP 25.64

-35.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.91 CUP 21.88

-59.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.03 CUP 48.70

18.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.01 CUP 72.4

23.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.97 CUP 47.35

13.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.90 CUP 45.53

-3.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.49 CUP 35.67

45.64%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.59 CUP 86.1

-38.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.50 CUP 156

203.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.84 CUP 140

-37.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.81 CUP 259

25.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.84 CUP 68.2

15.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.59 CUP 38.13

1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.99 CUP 47.79

21.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.29 CUP 55.1

-9.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.01 CUP 48.32

-23.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.77 CUP 42.39

-16.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.02 CUP 24.47

-2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.98 CUP 23.44

-47.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.10 CUP 98.4

7.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$12.06 CUP 289

60.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.61 CUP 38.60

10.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.29 CUP 54.9

18.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.23 CUP 5.49

495.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$24.53 CUP 589

-53.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.17 CUP 76.0

-4.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.41 CUP 9.90

141.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$15.25 CUP 366

-7.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.08 CUP 25.93

25.93%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$70.5K CUP 1.7M

-60.01%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$80.0K CUP 1.9M

-58.89%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$35.40 CUP 850

243.79%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$15.23 CUP 365

-10.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$252 CUP 6,052

-92.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$39.45 CUP 947

52.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.80 CUP 355

15.81%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$0.98 CUP 23.51

786.73%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$164 CUP 3,934

323.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$3,942 CUP 94.6K

297.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$71.0 CUP 1,705

-16.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$55.3 CUP 1,328

-37.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$99.8 CUP 2,395

14.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$104 CUP 2,505

-20.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$552 CUP 13.2K

11.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$345 CUP 8,291

26.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$764 CUP 18.3K

174.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$508 CUP 12.2K

196.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$337 CUP 8,098

1011.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$379 CUP 9,103

589.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$55.0 CUP 1,320

824.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.94

7.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Lucia: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $552 in Santa Lucia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 824% 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 $30.00 in Santa Lucia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $245 per month, with Santa Lucia 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 Lucia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 824% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $552 in Santa Lucia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $164 in Santa Lucia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santa Lucia pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,295 in Santa Lucia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Lucia. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Santa Lucia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Santa Lucia 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Santa Lucia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.