Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Talcahuano

For one person, living is cheaper in Talcahuano: $152 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Talcahuano

🇨🇱 Chile

$152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Talcahuano

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Talcahuano actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $152 in Talcahuano.

Phuket $1,294
Talcahuano $152

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $204 in Talcahuano.

Phuket $2,204
Talcahuano $204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $256 in Talcahuano.

Phuket $3,115
Talcahuano $256

Living in Phuket is roughly 750% more expensive than in Talcahuano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Talcahuano 89% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,083

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.3

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

$0.93 ฿31.20

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.75

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.3

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.64

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.8

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿640

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿365

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.6

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.6

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.2

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.90

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.87

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.07

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.53

$0.53 CLP 519

173.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,840

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.87

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

$26.9K ฿901.3K

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

$26.3K ฿883.4K

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

$97.8 ฿3,280

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

$11.29 ฿379

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿576

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,291

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿366

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿249

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

$530 ฿17.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿629.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,068

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿947

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,219

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,911

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$200 CLP 196.0K

260.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$150 CLP 146.9K

239.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.4K

$355 CLP 348.1K

448.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.8K

$251 CLP 245.6K

456.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$612 CLP 598.8K

-19.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Talcahuano: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Talcahuano

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Talcahuano

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Talcahuano

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Talcahuano

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Talcahuano

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Talcahuano

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Talcahuano

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $200 in Talcahuano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Talcahuano pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇱 Talcahuano

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

20:29 8:29 PM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

147,831

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.21 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 979 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,094 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Talcahuano 16,700 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Talcahuano

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 88% cheaper overall, especially in transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Phuket. 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: $721 in Phuket versus $200 in Talcahuano. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

At $152 in Talcahuano versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.