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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $719 in Santa Maria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,194 in Santa Maria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,669 in Santa Maria.

Living in Phuket is roughly 71% more expensive than in Santa Maria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Santa Maria 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$5.39 R$27.78

-18.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$34.61 R$178

-6.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.99 R$36.04

27.75%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.72 R$8.87

68.60%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.03 R$5.30

-14.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.61 R$3.15

-21.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.54 R$7.95

52.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.86 R$14.76

30.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.96 R$4.96

94.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.63 R$8.42

-9.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.06 R$5.46

46.23%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.11 R$10.86

-0.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$9.15 R$47.14

114.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.80 R$19.56

-10.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$8.06 R$41.53

41.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.32 R$11.95

28.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.46 R$7.54

15.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.43 R$7.37

54.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.51 R$7.78

43.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.13 R$5.81

34.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.11 R$5.73

20.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.90 R$4.61

25.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.80 R$4.15

-31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.28 R$11.73

86.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.71 R$39.71

147.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.13 R$5.80

57.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.16 R$11.11

28.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.96 R$4.94

132.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$29.62 R$153

-23.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.23 R$6.31

146.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.83 R$4.27

22.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.31 R$42.79

-53.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.21 R$6.24

23.14%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$22.8K R$117.2K

16.82%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$32.0K R$165.1K

-15.66%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$52.1 R$269

96.57%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$12.33 R$63.6

-8.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$15.98 R$82.3

8.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$23.58 R$121

120.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$11.62 R$59.9

-4.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.53 R$28.48

39.06%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$157 R$809

256.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$2,943 R$15.2K

290.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$49.64 R$256

26.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$41.77 R$215

-29.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$92.8 R$478

5.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$61.2 R$315

44.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$286 R$1,476

157.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$162 R$836

197.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$632 R$3,258

233.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$375 R$1,931

227.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,943 R$10.0K

86.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$668 R$3,444

289.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$633 R$3,263

-22.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Santa Maria: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $286 in Santa Maria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Maria pays 28% 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 $35.00 in Santa Maria. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $187, with Santa Maria cheaper for home cooking.

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, Getting Around. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Santa Maria. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $286 in Santa Maria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $157 in Santa Maria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $719 in Santa Maria versus $1,232 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 71% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.