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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $976 in Santa Rosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,564 in Santa Rosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,151 in Santa Rosa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than Santa Rosa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santa Rosa 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$10.71 ARS 15.3K

-56.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$34.35 ARS 49.0K

32.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$9.13 ARS 13.0K

-7.67%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.75 ARS 3,928

6.55%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.72 ARS 2,454

-59.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.55 ARS 2,213

-76.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.05 ARS 2,928

17.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.98 ARS 4,250

24.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.25 ARS 1,784

78.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.64 ARS 2,339

11.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.93 ARS 2,754

12.44%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.16 ARS 3,086

2.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.98 ARS 14.2K

97.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.29 ARS 8,979

-42.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.13 ARS 13.0K

48.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.02 ARS 2,882

62.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.04 ARS 2,915

-21.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.27 ARS 1,809

89.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.63 ARS 3,752

-20.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.19 ARS 1,695

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.25 ARS 1,778

18.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.28 ARS 1,821

-22.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.43 ARS 2,035

-64.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.17 ARS 4,516

39.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$5.23 ARS 7,459

270.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.09 ARS 2,982

-14.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.14 ARS 4,481

-13.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.82 ARS 1,169

67.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.53 ARS 2,185

97.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.91 ARS 1,294

8.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.98 ARS 8,531

135.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.06 ARS 1,506

28.30%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$27.2K ARS 38.7M

3.87%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.1K ARS 42.9M

9.38%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$65.9 ARS 93.9K

84.81%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$17.10 ARS 24.4K

-20.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$22.81 ARS 32.5K

-19.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$26.13 ARS 37.3K

130.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.02 ARS 20.0K

22.25%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.31 ARS 9,007

37.72%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$218 ARS 311.3K

217.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$2,745 ARS 3.9M

471.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$73.7 ARS 105.2K

-19.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$70.8 ARS 101.0K

-50.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$116 ARS 164.8K

-0.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$112 ARS 160.3K

-25.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$340 ARS 484.6K

80.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$241 ARS 344.0K

81.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$689 ARS 983.3K

203.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$532 ARS 758.9K

183.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,026 ARS 2.9M

85.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

58.5

-90.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $340 in Santa Rosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Santa Rosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $230 per month, with Santa Rosa 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 Rosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Rosa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,464 in Santa Rosa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $340 in Santa Rosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $218 in Santa Rosa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Rosa – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $976 in Santa Rosa versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santa Rosa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Rosa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santa Rosa 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 Rosa 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 Rosa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.