Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santiago City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santiago City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $660 in Santiago City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,043 in Santiago City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,426 in Santiago City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 92% more expensive than Santiago City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santiago City 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$6.46 ₱399

-27.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$13.04 ₱805

247.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.57 ₱220

136.13%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$0.93 ₱57.4

215.05%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.77 ₱47.36

-10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.33 ₱20.43

12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.09 ₱67.0

121.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.72 ₱106

116.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.58 ₱97.7

41.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.27 ₱78.6

44.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.77 ₱47.74

181.82%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.52 ₱93.6

45.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$2.51 ₱155

686.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.28 ₱202

10.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$5.60 ₱346

141.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.65 ₱164

23.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.04 ₱63.9

54.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.70 ₱43.03

244.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.42 ₱87.8

46.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$3.45 ₱213

-55.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.09 ₱67.4

35.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.82 ₱50.4

20.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.00 ₱61.7

-49.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.28 ₱141

93.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$3.79 ₱234

411.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.08 ₱66.8

64.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.73 ₱107

56.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.26 ₱15.95

426.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.83 ₱51.4

263.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.14 ₱8.43

607.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$3.51 ₱216

301.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.09 ₱67.3

24.77%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$22.4K ₱1.4M

25.87%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.6K ₱1.1M

87.36%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$75.2 ₱4,641

61.81%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$26.73 ₱1,649

-49.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$22.70 ₱1,401

-19.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$33.61 ₱2,074

79.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.55 ₱281

276.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.40 ₱333

60.93%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$88.8 ₱5,476

681.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$4,353 ₱268.6K

260.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$42.33 ₱2,612

40.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$23.73 ₱1,465

46.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$53.3 ₱3,289

114.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$40.02 ₱2,469

108.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$262 ₱16.2K

134.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$178 ₱11.0K

145.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$597 ₱36.8K

250.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$400 ₱24.7K

277.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$2,351 ₱145.1K

59.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$962 ₱59.3K

172.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$218 ₱13.5K

132.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santiago City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $262 in Santiago City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 133% 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 $13.00 in Santiago City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $152 per month, with Santiago City 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 Santiago City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 133% 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 $262 in Santiago City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $88.8 in Santiago City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago City – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $660 in Santiago City versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santiago City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santiago City 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 Santiago City 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 Santiago City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.