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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $676 in Santa Maria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,082 in Santa Maria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,488 in Santa Maria.

Living in Phuket is roughly 87% more expensive than Santa Maria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santa Maria 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.41 R$22.32

6.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$26.70 R$135

69.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.39 R$32.32

31.92%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.36 R$6.88

115.44%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.94 R$4.78

-26.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.59 R$2.99

-37.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.45 R$7.35

66.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.55 R$17.97

4.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.83 R$4.21

168.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.38 R$6.97

32.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.06 R$5.35

104.72%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.50 R$7.60

47.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.47 R$42.85

133.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.58 R$18.14

1.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.62 R$38.53

77.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.08 R$10.51

57.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.26 R$6.37

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.31 R$6.65

83.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.47 R$7.43

41.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.09 R$5.53

40.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.08 R$5.45

37.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.77 R$3.87

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.62 R$3.12

-17.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.95 R$9.89

126.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$7.74 R$39.15

150.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.01 R$5.11

76.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.89 R$9.59

43.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.94 R$4.74

45.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$26.77 R$135

-57.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.58 R$8.02

91.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.04 R$5.26

-4.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.28 R$26.71

167.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.99 R$5.02

37.37%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.1K R$116.9K

22.02%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.1K R$137.1K

21.44%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$48.41 R$245

151.39%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$14.90 R$75.4

-8.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$16.45 R$83.2

11.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$21.75 R$110

176.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$11.02 R$55.7

55.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.15 R$26.03

68.74%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$142 R$716

389.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$2,668 R$13.5K

487.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$49.06 R$248

21.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$38.92 R$197

-10.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$81.3 R$411

40.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$57.0 R$288

46.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$272 R$1,379

125.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$156 R$788

180.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$573 R$2,901

265.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$333 R$1,687

352.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,954 R$9,884

91.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$683 R$3,455

283.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$623 R$3,154

-18.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-46.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Maria: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $272 in Santa Maria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Maria pays 23% 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 $27.00 in Santa Maria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $169 per month, with Santa Maria 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 Maria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Maria is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Santa Maria earns 23% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $272 in Santa Maria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $142 in Santa Maria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $676 in Santa Maria versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Maria but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Maria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santa Maria 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 Maria 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 Maria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.