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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,198 in Santiago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,914 in Santiago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,631 in Santiago.

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than in Santiago, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Santiago 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.44 CLP 10.0K

-57.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$53.0 CLP 50.9K

-39.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$8.77 CLP 8,424

1.82%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$3.35 CLP 3,218

-13.43%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.71 CLP 1,639

-48.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$1.30 CLP 1,252

-63.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$4.17 CLP 4,004

-43.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.78 CLP 4,592

-22.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.28 CLP 1,229

46.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.76 CLP 1,694

-16.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.65 CLP 1,586

-6.06%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$4.18 CLP 4,020

-49.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$11.35 CLP 10.9K

72.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.75 CLP 6,481

-49.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$10.91 CLP 10.5K

4.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$2.00 CLP 1,921

49.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.54 CLP 1,478

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.65 CLP 1,585

33.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$1.80 CLP 1,730

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.10 CLP 1,057

38.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$1.49 CLP 1,431

-10.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.24 CLP 1,190

-8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$1.13 CLP 1,088

-51.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.30 CLP 5,087

-19.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$6.22 CLP 5,977

206.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.62 CLP 1,555

9.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.48 CLP 2,385

12.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.81 CLP 774

175.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$41.63 CLP 40.0K

-45.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.44 CLP 418

588.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.85 CLP 814

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$11.79 CLP 11.3K

-67.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.55 CLP 1,492

-3.87%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$18.2K CLP 17.5M

45.81%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$21.9K CLP 21.0M

23.50%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$154 CLP 147.9K

-33.44%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$12.82 CLP 12.3K

-11.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$20.16 CLP 19.4K

-13.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$34.36 CLP 33.0K

51.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$11.94 CLP 11.5K

-7.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$7.56 CLP 7,265

1.72%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$449 CLP 430.8K

25.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$11.2K CLP 10.8M

2.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$50.6 CLP 48.6K

24.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$29.29 CLP 28.1K

0.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$68.9 CLP 66.2K

42.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$83.5 CLP 80.2K

5.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$574 CLP 551.9K

28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$391 CLP 375.2K

23.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$1,038 CLP 996.7K

103.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$777 CLP 746.5K

57.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$2,663 CLP 2.6M

35.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$2,567 CLP 2.5M

1.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$808 CLP 776.3K

-38.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.39

3.34%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Santiago: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $574 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $53.0 in Santiago. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $239, 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

Santiago is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Santiago. 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 $574 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $449 in Santiago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,198 in Santiago versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santiago 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 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 gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.