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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,355 in Santarem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,075 in Santarem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,795 in Santarem.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 9% less than in Santarem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Santarem 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$12.76 €11.12

-65.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$40.06 €34.92

-19.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.41 €8.20

-5.10%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.74 €1.52

66.67%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.80 €1.57

-51.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.19 €1.04

-59.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.37 €2.07

-0.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.42 €2.98

8.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.17 €1.02

59.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.44 €0.38

234.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.13 €0.99

37.17%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$3.57 €3.11

-41.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$11.47 €9.99

70.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$7.01 €6.11

-51.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$14.10 €12.29

-19.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.95 €2.57

1.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.42 €1.24

18.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.56 €2.23

-13.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.27 €1.98

-4.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.47 €1.28

3.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.59 €1.39

-15.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.18 €1.03

-4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.30 €0.26

83.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.82 €5.07

-26.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$6.22 €5.42

206.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.31 €1.14

35.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.69 €3.21

-24.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$2.35 €2.05

-5.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$58.2 €50.8

-60.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.68 €3.21

-17.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$2.12 €1.84

-29.72%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$34.7K €30.3K

-23.40%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$39.1K €34.1K

-30.86%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$133 €116

-23.16%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$21.42 €18.67

-47.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$58.7 €51.2

-70.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$38.09 €33.21

36.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.00 €6.11

9.86%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$445 €388

26.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$19.5K €17.0K

-41.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$80.1 €69.8

-21.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$39.47 €34.41

-25.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$111 €96.3

-11.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$139 €121

-36.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$670 €584

10.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$432 €377

11.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,072 €935

96.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$833 €726

47.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,207 €1,923

63.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,135 €990

129.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,090 €950

-54.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.76

17.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Santarem: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $670 in Santarem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santarem pays 121% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Santarem. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $234, with Santarem 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 Santarem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 121% lower in Santarem. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $670 in Santarem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $445 in Santarem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santarem pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,355 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 10% less than in Santarem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.