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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $749 in Santa Rosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,146 in Santa Rosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,543 in Santa Rosa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 67% more expensive than in Santa Rosa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santa Rosa 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.76 ₱170

64.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$21.63 ₱1,334

113.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$3.03 ₱187

191.75%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.26 ₱78.0

142.86%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.40 ₱24.94

82.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.28 ₱17.42

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.27 ₱78.3

91.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.41 ₱86.7

168.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.09 ₱129

8.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.21 ₱74.6

49.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.12 ₱69.1

100.89%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.80 ₱111

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.93 ₱427

181.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.20 ₱259

-13.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.16 ₱442

82.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$4.47 ₱276

-27.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.92 ₱56.8

76.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.92 ₱180

-18.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.64 ₱101

23.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.86 ₱177

-46.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$4.08 ₱252

-63.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.59 ₱98.0

-38.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.01 ₱62.5

-48.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.20 ₱198

38.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.00 ₱555

103.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.54 ₱95.2

20.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.99 ₱123

34.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.26 ₱16.03

442.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.78 ₱48.32

298.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.24 ₱14.84

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.11 ₱130

568.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.09 ₱67.2

20.18%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$25.8K ₱1.6M

7.66%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

61.38%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$52.5 ₱3,235

133.40%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$33.43 ₱2,062

-59.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$28.79 ₱1,776

-35.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$33.44 ₱2,062

80.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$4.45 ₱275

281.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.17 ₱442

26.50%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$81.2 ₱5,008

769.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$2,799 ₱172.6K

464.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$32.18 ₱1,984

81.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$29.83 ₱1,839

18.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$98.6 ₱6,078

17.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$93.0 ₱5,738

-10.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$252 ₱15.5K

148.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$174 ₱10.7K

155.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$397 ₱24.5K

414.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$281 ₱17.3K

430.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,551 ₱157.3K

36.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$969 ₱59.7K

165.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$148 ₱9,112

238.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.13

-34.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $252 in Santa Rosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 238% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Santa Rosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $221 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, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 238% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $252 in Santa Rosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $81.2 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 $22.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $749 in Santa Rosa versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 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 67% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.