Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santorini Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santorini

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,146 in Santorini.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $3,116 in Santorini.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $4,086 in Santorini.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 42% less than in Santorini, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Santorini is 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$19.77 €17.29

-76.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$90.4 €79.1

-48.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$16.07 €14.06

-44.99%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$4.71 €4.12

-35.03%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$3.81 €3.33

-80.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$1.40 €1.22

-71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$5.78 €5.06

-57.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$7.47 €6.53

-49.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.09 €1.83

8.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.42 €1.24

27.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.39 €2.96

-33.63%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$6.82 €5.97

-67.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$14.85 €12.99

31.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.73 €6.76

-52.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$16.32 €14.28

-20.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.83 €2.47

14.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.26 €1.98

-28.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.71 €1.50

39.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$3.40 €2.98

-40.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.56 €2.24

-40.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.20 €1.05

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.94 €0.82

4.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.67 €0.58

-22.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$6.84 €5.98

-35.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$5.83 €5.10

214.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.06 €1.80

-9.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.96 €2.59

-9.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$2.73 €2.39

-48.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$45.79 €40.06

-74.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$4.50 €3.93

-30.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$13.94 €12.19

1.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$2.18 €1.91

-39.91%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$31.7K €27.8K

-12.39%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.3K €23.0K

26.46%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$324 €284

-62.22%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$45.62 €39.92

-70.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$34.07 €29.80

-45.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$82.0 €71.8

-26.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$25.84 €22.61

-34.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.02 €6.14

29.20%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$627 €549

12.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$6,010 €5,258

162.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$69.7 €61.0

-15.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$51.7 €45.21

-31.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$78.5 €68.7

47.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$115 €101

-27.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$499 €437

25.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$787 €688

-43.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$1,340 €1,172

52.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,057 €925

41.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$5,168 €4,521

-32.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$3,425 €2,996

-24.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,232 €1,078

-59.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.15

28.43%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Santorini: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $499 in Santorini. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santorini pays 147% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $90.0 in Santorini for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $309 per month, with Phuket 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 Santorini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 147% lower in Santorini. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $499 in Santorini. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $627 in Santorini. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Santorini. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,146 in Santorini, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santorini. 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 Santorini, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Santorini 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 72% less than in Santorini. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.