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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,270 in Santiago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,013 in Santiago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,756 in Santiago.

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and Santiago; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santiago 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$10.93 CLP 9,777

-57.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$53.1 CLP 47.5K

-14.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$8.30 CLP 7,426

1.57%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.11 CLP 2,784

-5.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.79 CLP 1,600

-61.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$1.29 CLP 1,153

-71.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.19 CLP 2,852

-24.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.39 CLP 3,928

-15.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.20 CLP 1,069

85.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.59 CLP 1,420

15.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$2.18 CLP 1,947

-0.46%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$4.14 CLP 3,700

-46.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.66 CLP 9,533

85.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.48 CLP 5,794

-43.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.79 CLP 9,656

25.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.00 CLP 1,793

64.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.63 CLP 1,462

-1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.13 CLP 1,906

13.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.84 CLP 1,643

13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.95 CLP 1,748

-21.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.68 CLP 1,499

-11.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.29 CLP 1,157

-23.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.19 CLP 1,063

-57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$5.56 CLP 4,975

-20.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$6.77 CLP 6,058

186.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.54 CLP 1,376

15.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.47 CLP 2,213

9.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.85 CLP 760

61.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$42.05 CLP 37.6K

-72.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.50 CLP 448

504.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.43 CLP 1,278

-30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$11.70 CLP 10.5K

20.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.37 CLP 1,225

-0.73%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$19.6K CLP 17.6M

43.63%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.6K CLP 20.2M

45.60%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$133 CLP 119.3K

-8.77%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.65 CLP 12.2K

-0.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$21.85 CLP 19.5K

-16.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$33.74 CLP 30.2K

78.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$20.94 CLP 18.7K

-18.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.55 CLP 5,864

32.67%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$436 CLP 390.2K

59.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$8,621 CLP 7.7M

81.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$55.0 CLP 49.2K

8.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$32.75 CLP 29.3K

6.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$76.0 CLP 68.0K

50.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$83.5 CLP 74.7K

-0.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$519 CLP 464.3K

18.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$468 CLP 418.9K

-6.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,012 CLP 905.1K

107.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$888 CLP 794.1K

70.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$2,891 CLP 2.6M

29.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,897 CLP 2.6M

-9.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$884 CLP 790.8K

-42.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.18

2.90%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santiago: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $519 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 74% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $53.0 in Santiago. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $242, with Santiago 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 Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, Santiago earns 74% 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 $519 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $436 in Santiago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $53.0 in Santiago. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,270 in Santiago, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santiago. 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 Santiago, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Santiago are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Santiago on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.