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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $687 in Santa Rita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,033 in Santa Rita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,379 in Santa Rita.

Living in Phuket is roughly 82% more expensive than in Santa Rita, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santa Rita 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.58 ₲15.5K

76.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$25.60 ₲154.4K

80.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.47 ₲14.9K

23.89%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.66 ₲3,967

10.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.36 ₲2,194

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.03 ₲6,198

266.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.83 ₲5,023

172.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.39 ₲8,385

30.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.86 ₲5,166

161.63%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.00 ₲12.0K

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$5.56 ₲33.6K

250.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.10 ₲18.7K

17.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.01 ₲48.3K

62.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.73 ₲22.5K

-13.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.04 ₲6,269

128.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.22 ₲13.4K

-8.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.55 ₲15.4K

-40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.93 ₲11.6K

-22.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.64 ₲3,876

53.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.98 ₲5,918

-46.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$4.84 ₲29.2K

278.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.07 ₲12.5K

29.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.02 ₲6,152

38.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$30.22 ₲182.2K

-61.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.02 ₲6,155

1.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.71 ₲16.3K

420.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.01 ₲6,108

29.70%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$7,129 ₲43.0M

290.19%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

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

$122 ฿4,118

$78.5 ₲473.5K

55.95%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$17.39 ₲104.9K

-21.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$28.11 ₲169.5K

-33.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$31.77 ₲191.6K

90.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$18.58 ₲112.0K

-8.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.18 ₲37.3K

46.76%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$57.4 ₲345.9K

1131.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$37.85 ₲228.3K

54.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$62.4 ₲376.0K

-43.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$49.86 ₲300.7K

67.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$251 ₲1.5M

149.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$186 ₲1.1M

139.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$317 ₲1.9M

544.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$248 ₲1.5M

500.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$500 ₲3.0M

-0.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Rita: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $251 in Santa Rita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Rita pays 0% 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 $26.00 in Santa Rita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $163 per month, with Santa Rita 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 Rita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Rita is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 0% lower in Santa Rita. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $251 in Santa Rita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $57.4 in Santa Rita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $687 in Santa Rita versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Rita but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Rita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santa Rita 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 Rita 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 Rita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.