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 $749 in Santa Rosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,146 in Santa Rosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,543 in Santa Rosa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 69% more expensive than 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

$4.70 ฿153

$2.79 ₱172

68.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$20.91 ₱1,289

116.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.07 ₱189

174.59%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.21 ₱74.4

142.15%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.37 ₱23.03

86.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.28 ₱17.30

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.22 ₱75.5

97.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.46 ₱89.7

154.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.15 ₱133

3.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.26 ₱77.4

45.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.11 ₱68.4

95.50%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.80 ₱111

22.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.94 ₱428

184.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.17 ₱257

-12.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.20 ₱444

87.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$4.35 ₱268

-24.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.87 ₱53.6

85.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.91 ₱179

-17.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.65 ₱102

26.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.80 ₱172

-45.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$4.19 ₱258

-64.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.56 ₱96.3

-36.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.01 ₱62.4

-49.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.15 ₱195

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$9.16 ₱565

111.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.62 ₱100.0

9.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.02 ₱125

34.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.26 ₱15.90

426.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.78 ₱48.23

287.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.24 ₱14.86

312.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.10 ₱129

571.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.09 ₱67.2

24.77%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$25.9K ₱1.6M

8.83%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

59.43%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$53.5 ₱3,300

127.39%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$33.33 ₱2,056

-59.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$28.40 ₱1,751

-35.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$33.49 ₱2,065

79.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.31 ₱265

297.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.92 ₱427

25.58%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$81.0 ₱4,995

755.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$2,795 ₱172.4K

461.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$32.25 ₱1,989

84.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$29.79 ₱1,837

16.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$96.3 ₱5,939

18.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$92.1 ₱5,680

-9.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$243 ₱15.0K

151.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$174 ₱10.7K

150.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$402 ₱24.8K

420.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$281 ₱17.3K

437.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,285 ₱140.9K

64.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$946 ₱58.3K

176.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$145 ₱8,945

250.25%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $243 in Santa Rosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 250% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Santa Rosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 250% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $243 in Santa Rosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $81.0 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 $21.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $749 in Santa Rosa versus $1,265 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 69% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.