Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $960 in Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,458 in Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,956 in Santos.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Santos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santos 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.44 R$27.68

-16.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$27.23 R$139

69.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.81 R$29.57

52.15%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.98 R$10.09

54.55%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.24 R$6.32

-41.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.91 R$4.65

-56.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.04 R$10.37

19.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.75 R$14.00

37.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.04 R$5.31

117.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.55 R$7.88

16.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.35 R$6.87

66.67%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.96 R$15.04

-23.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$12.43 R$63.3

56.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.25 R$21.63

-14.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.90 R$45.29

46.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.68 R$8.57

92.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.26 R$6.41

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.14 R$10.92

11.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.75 R$8.93

16.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.31 R$6.66

16.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.29 R$6.56

16.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.08 R$5.52

-9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.30 R$6.63

-60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.19 R$11.14

102.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.64 R$38.89

139.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.38 R$7.02

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.05 R$10.42

30.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.88 R$4.46

60.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$45.15 R$230

-74.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.23 R$6.27

152.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.83 R$4.20

25.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$14.51 R$73.9

-2.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.09 R$5.55

20.18%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$20.7K R$105.3K

34.49%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$28.9K R$147.3K

14.80%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$88.5 R$451

38.37%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$11.83 R$60.2

14.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$20.83 R$106

-10.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$21.83 R$111

177.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$48.98 R$249

-65.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.72 R$39.31

17.49%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$280 R$1,426

152.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$7,927 R$40.4K

99.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$46.15 R$235

26.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$39.90 R$203

-11.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$79.1 R$403

46.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$42.23 R$215

98.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$425 R$2,165

47.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$329 R$1,677

35.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$800 R$4,073

154.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$532 R$2,708

180.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,409 R$12.3K

44.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,728 R$8,795

49.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$574 R$2,923

-12.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-55.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Santos: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $425 in Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santos pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $214 per month, with Santos 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 Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Santos. 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 $425 in Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $280 in Santos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $960 in Santos versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santos but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santos 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 Santos 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 Santos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.