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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,306 in Santa Lucia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,841 in Santa Lucia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,376 in Santa Lucia.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 4% less than in Santa Lucia, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santa Lucia 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$9.95 CUP 239

-54.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$30.34 CUP 728

52.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$7.20 CUP 173

22.78%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.24 CUP 77.9

-5.56%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.13 CUP 27.07

-35.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.86 CUP 20.58

-53.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.97 CUP 47.17

23.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.06 CUP 73.4

23.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.92 CUP 46.17

17.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.84 CUP 44.16

-1.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.49 CUP 35.74

51.01%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$3.58 CUP 86.0

-37.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.29 CUP 151

210.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.68 CUP 136

-35.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.81 CUP 260

20.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.74 CUP 65.6

17.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.58 CUP 37.89

2.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$2.08 CUP 49.81

14.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$2.31 CUP 55.5

-12.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.94 CUP 46.64

-21.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.73 CUP 41.59

-13.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.02 CUP 24.56

-3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.98 CUP 23.43

-46.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.95 CUP 94.9

12.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$12.15 CUP 292

50.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.63 CUP 39.08

14.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.42 CUP 58.0

10.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.18 CUP 4.35

683.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$25.29 CUP 607

-53.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.35 CUP 80.3

-7.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.38 CUP 9.22

173.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$15.15 CUP 364

-6.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.03 CUP 24.79

27.18%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$70.1K CUP 1.7M

-60.35%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$80.3K CUP 1.9M

-58.63%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$35.06 CUP 841

249.23%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$14.95 CUP 359

-9.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$248 CUP 5,941

-92.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$40.65 CUP 976

48.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$14.93 CUP 358

13.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$1.01 CUP 24.32

798.02%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$163 CUP 3,920

332.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$3,997 CUP 95.9K

295.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$70.7 CUP 1,698

-17.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$55.1 CUP 1,323

-35.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$101 CUP 2,418

14.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$105 CUP 2,509

-19.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$559 CUP 13.4K

11.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$353 CUP 8,470

26.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$756 CUP 18.1K

169.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$508 CUP 12.2K

193.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$345 CUP 8,278

909.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$379 CUP 9,087

580.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$56.6 CUP 1,358

783.44%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Lucia: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $559 in Santa Lucia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 783% 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 $30.00 in Santa Lucia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $243 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 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 783% higher in Phuket, 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: $626 in Phuket versus $559 in Santa Lucia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $163 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 $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,306 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 4% less than in Santa Lucia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.