Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santa Monica, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA, rent and utilities included – about $30,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
183

Cost of Living Index in Santa Monica, CA
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Santa Monica, CA Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Santa Monica, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Santa Monica, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA.

Phuket $1,278
Santa Monica, CA $3,815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $5,847 in Santa Monica, CA.

Phuket $2,216
Santa Monica, CA $5,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $7,879 in Santa Monica, CA.

Phuket $3,154
Santa Monica, CA $7,879

Living in Phuket costs roughly 66% less than in Santa Monica, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Santa Monica, CA is 180% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$26.80 $26.80

-83.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$121 $121

-73.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$15.08 $15.08

-41.58%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$5.77 $5.77

-50.95%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$3.32 $3.32

-73.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$2.35 $2.35

-79.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$7.94 $7.94

-67.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$9.95 $9.95

-63.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.35 $1.35

22.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$4.63 $4.63

-68.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$4.52 $4.52

-66.81%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$5.46 $5.46

-61.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$15.99 $15.99

19.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$14.11 $14.11

-76.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$19.54 $19.54

-44.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$4.86 $4.86

-39.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.24 $2.24

-24.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$4.14 $4.14

-45.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$5.76 $5.76

-63.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.38 $3.38

-55.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$2.91 $2.91

-52.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$2.16 $2.16

-50.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$2.57 $2.57

-79.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$11.59 $11.59

-63.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$14.87 $14.87

26.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.53 $2.53

-28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$3.02 $3.02

-5.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$1.70 $1.70

-14.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$54.8 $54.8

3.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.03 $3.03

-0.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$1.83 $1.83

-44.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$32.50 $32.50

-88.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.48 $1.48

-0.68%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$32.6K $32.6K

-17.86%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.53%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$216 $216

-55.46%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$46.35 $46.35

-75.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$64.5 $64.5

-73.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$67.3 $67.3

-0.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$44.25 $44.25

-75.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$18.86 $18.86

-60.23%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,741 $1,741

-72.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$32.4K $32.4K

-65.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$87.7 $87.7

-28.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$54.1 $54.1

-47.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$106 $106

-11.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$118 $118

-27.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$3,795 $3,795

-81.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$2,269 $2,269

-78.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$8,658 $8,658

-77.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$4,229 $4,229

-66.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$13.1K $13.1K

-68.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$9,732 $9,732

-68.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$7,010 $7,010

-92.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.62

-15.86%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Santa Monica, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Santa Monica, CA

$2.3K 59.5% 362% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Santa Monica, CA

$464 12.2% 74.2% $198

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Santa Monica, CA

$327 8.6% 163% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Santa Monica, CA

$165 4.3% 35.1% $43

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Santa Monica, CA

$411 10.8% 238% $290

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Santa Monica, CA

$105 2.8% 27.8% $23

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Santa Monica, CA

$74 1.9% 4.6% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $3,795 in Santa Monica, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Monica, CA pays about 14 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $121 in Santa Monica, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $464 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🕒 Local time

04:16 4:16 AM

13:16 1:16 PM

15 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

89,736

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Santa Monica, CA 13,950 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Santa Monica, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Monica, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 66% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 93% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $3,795 in Santa Monica, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $1,741 in Santa Monica, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Santa Monica, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Monica, CA. 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 Monica, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Santa Monica, CA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Santa Monica, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.