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 $1,162 in Santa Rosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,964 in Santa Rosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,766 in Santa Rosa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than in Santa Rosa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Santa Rosa 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$15.51 ARS 23.4K

-69.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$53.4 ARS 80.5K

-39.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$12.94 ARS 19.5K

-32.92%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.93 ARS 5,930

-26.21%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$2.16 ARS 3,264

-61.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.71 ARS 2,583

-71.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$3.60 ARS 5,425

-31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.66 ARS 5,521

1.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.39 ARS 2,101

35.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$2.19 ARS 3,305

-35.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.58 ARS 2,385

2.53%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.35 ARS 3,544

-4.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.14 ARS 15.3K

95.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.58 ARS 9,924

-47.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$11.72 ARS 17.7K

-2.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.31 ARS 3,481

25.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.24 ARS 3,382

-23.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.37 ARS 2,062

65.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.12 ARS 3,203

0.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.09 ARS 1,645

34.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.99 ARS 1,488

43.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.56 ARS 2,359

-29.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.68 ARS 2,533

-64.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.22 ARS 4,861

33.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$4.98 ARS 7,509

273.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.05 ARS 3,087

-12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.84 ARS 4,282

4.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.99 ARS 1,488

127.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.63 ARS 2,456

90.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.01 ARS 1,528

6.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$7.52 ARS 11.3K

-48.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.16 ARS 1,747

23.28%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$28.0K ARS 42.3M

-0.92%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$33.2K ARS 50.1M

-18.75%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$84.8 ARS 128.0K

23.54%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$16.82 ARS 25.4K

-32.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$27.16 ARS 41.0K

-35.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$30.03 ARS 45.3K

80.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$8.40 ARS 12.7K

-7.38%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$304 ARS 458.1K

89.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$4,259 ARS 6.4M

171.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$107 ARS 162.1K

-40.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$76.8 ARS 115.9K

-62.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$116 ARS 175.2K

-17.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$126 ARS 190.6K

-28.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$486 ARS 732.8K

50.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$307 ARS 463.2K

63.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,005 ARS 1.5M

111.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$766 ARS 1.2M

63.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,372 ARS 3.6M

49.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

56.56

-90.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $486 in Santa Rosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $53.0 in Santa Rosa. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $249, with Santa Rosa 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 Rosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Rosa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,743 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: $733 in Phuket versus $486 in Santa Rosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $304 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 $53.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,162 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 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.