Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santarem Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santarem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,575 in Santarem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,069 in Santarem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,563 in Santarem.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 20% less than in Santarem, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Santarem is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$13.91 €11.97

-66.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$39.99 €34.40

13.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$8.66 €7.45

-2.66%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.65 €1.42

77.58%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.31 €1.12

-47.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.38 €1.18

-73.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.34 €2.02

2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.41 €2.93

9.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.08 €0.93

106.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.47 €0.41

289.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.17 €1.01

85.47%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.06 €2.63

-27.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$11.04 €9.50

78.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.52 €6.47

-51.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$13.81 €11.88

-2.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.60 €2.24

26.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.37 €1.18

17.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.23 €1.92

8.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.35 €2.02

-11.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.48 €1.27

3.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.66 €1.43

-10.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.88 €0.76

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.30 €0.25

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$5.79 €4.98

-23.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.00 €5.16

223.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.28 €1.10

39.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.83 €3.30

-29.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$2.26 €1.94

-39.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$42.55 €36.60

-73.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.67 €3.15

-17.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.39 €1.19

-28.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$17.62 €15.15

-19.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.99 €1.72

-31.66%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$34.8K €30.0K

-19.01%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$39.8K €34.2K

-17.24%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$84.5 €72.7

44.11%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$21.79 €18.75

-37.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$49.45 €42.54

-62.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$38.87 €33.44

54.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.88 €5.92

26.31%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$442 €381

56.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$8,434 €7,255

85.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$85.1 €73.2

-30.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$39.38 €33.87

-11.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$99.3 €85.4

15.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$92.1 €79.2

-9.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$910 €783

-32.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$728 €626

-39.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,457 €1,253

43.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$689 €593

118.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,267 €1,950

65.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,183 €1,018

121.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,089 €937

-53.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.32

0.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santarem: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $910 in Santarem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santarem pays 114% 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 $40.00 in Santarem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $227 per month, with Santarem 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 Santarem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Santarem earns 114% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $910 in Santarem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $442 in Santarem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santarem pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,575 in Santarem, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santarem. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Santarem, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Santarem 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Santarem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.