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 $1,288 in Santa Lucia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,836 in Santa Lucia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,383 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 8% lower, Santa Lucia 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$10.16 CUP 244

-54.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$29.99 CUP 720

7.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$7.08 CUP 170

22.60%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.25 CUP 77.9

-10.77%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.13 CUP 27.12

-25.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.93 CUP 22.23

-47.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.98 CUP 47.42

25.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.93 CUP 70.3

27.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.97 CUP 47.39

-4.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.87 CUP 44.76

-24.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.51 CUP 36.35

7.28%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.72 CUP 89.3

-39.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$6.35 CUP 152

212.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$5.77 CUP 138

-39.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$11.07 CUP 266

2.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.85 CUP 68.3

1.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.58 CUP 37.89

8.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.09 CUP 50.2

8.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.22 CUP 53.3

-4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.97 CUP 47.24

-25.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.73 CUP 41.40

-17.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.98 CUP 23.42

12.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.02 CUP 24.50

-41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.95 CUP 94.7

9.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$12.03 CUP 289

54.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.62 CUP 38.80

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.42 CUP 58.0

22.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.19 CUP 4.47

1084.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$24.63 CUP 591

-4.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$3.29 CUP 78.9

-5.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.39 CUP 9.29

176.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$14.88 CUP 357

-73.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.03 CUP 24.77

38.83%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$68.7K CUP 1.6M

-59.55%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$79.1K CUP 1.9M

-65.87%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$35.30 CUP 847

196.88%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$15.05 CUP 361

-24.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$252 CUP 6,044

-93.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$39.40 CUP 946

37.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$15.04 CUP 361

-23.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$1.02 CUP 24.48

662.75%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$168 CUP 4,020

244.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$4,059 CUP 97.4K

185.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$71.0 CUP 1,703

-10.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$55.5 CUP 1,331

-47.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$101 CUP 2,429

-4.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$105 CUP 2,513

-14.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$543 CUP 13.0K

35.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$345 CUP 8,281

45.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$748 CUP 18.0K

183.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$496 CUP 11.9K

152.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$335 CUP 8,034

955.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$371 CUP 8,903

606.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$55.5 CUP 1,331

815.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.94

12.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Santa Lucia: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $543 in Santa Lucia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 815% 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 $30.00 in Santa Lucia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $246 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. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 815% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $543 in Santa Lucia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $168 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 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,288 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.