Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Talcahuano Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Talcahuano

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,057 in Talcahuano.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,617 in Talcahuano.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,177 in Talcahuano.

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than Talcahuano, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Talcahuano 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$8.55 CLP 7,605

-45.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$44.14 CLP 39.2K

6.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.12 CLP 7,217

8.87%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.72 CLP 2,417

10.29%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.30 CLP 1,154

-43.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.02 CLP 911

-63.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.28 CLP 2,916

-25.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.19 CLP 3,727

-13.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.24 CLP 1,101

82.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.57 CLP 1,396

17.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.85 CLP 1,643

21.08%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.60 CLP 3,201

-35.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.34 CLP 9,194

90.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.54 CLP 5,817

-44.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.11 CLP 9,882

17.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.82 CLP 1,622

86.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.57 CLP 1,396

4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.58 CLP 1,404

52.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.44 CLP 1,280

40.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.23 CLP 1,092

26.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.36 CLP 1,207

10.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.21 CLP 1,074

-15.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.22 CLP 1,086

-59.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.34 CLP 4,751

-16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.63 CLP 1,446

9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.20 CLP 1,959

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.57 CLP 507

145.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.47 CLP 417

563.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.43 CLP 1,269

-5.59%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$19.2K CLP 17.1M

41.31%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.7K CLP 19.3M

51.55%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$131 CLP 116.6K

-4.70%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.49 CLP 12.0K

0.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$21.78 CLP 19.4K

-14.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$38.43 CLP 34.2K

59.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$21.07 CLP 18.7K

-20.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.71 CLP 5,074

60.95%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$437 CLP 388.3K

59.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$51.2 CLP 45.6K

12.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$30.20 CLP 26.9K

16.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$62.4 CLP 55.5K

81.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$82.4 CLP 73.3K

4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$480 CLP 426.5K

28.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$376 CLP 334.2K

18.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$876 CLP 779.0K

133.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$599 CLP 532.7K

149.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$676 CLP 600.8K

-22.48%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Talcahuano: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $480 in Talcahuano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Talcahuano pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $44.00 in Talcahuano for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $217 per month, with Talcahuano 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 Talcahuano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Talcahuano is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Talcahuano earns 29% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $480 in Talcahuano. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $437 in Talcahuano. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Talcahuano – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,057 in Talcahuano versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Talcahuano but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Talcahuano the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Talcahuano 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 Talcahuano 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 Talcahuano gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.