Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Temuco

For one person, living is cheaper in Temuco: $1,064 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Temuco
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Temuco Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Temuco

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Temuco

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 Temuco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,064 in Temuco.

Phuket $1,278
Temuco $1,064

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,594 in Temuco.

Phuket $2,216
Temuco $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,124 in Temuco.

Phuket $3,154
Temuco $2,124

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than in Temuco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Temuco 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$7.38 CLP 7,335

-39.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$30.40 CLP 30.2K

6.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.20 CLP 7,156

22.36%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.77 CLP 3,743

-24.93%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$2.17 CLP 2,152

-59.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$1.05 CLP 1,044

-53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$3.56 CLP 3,539

-28.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.35 CLP 3,324

9.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.15 CLP 1,143

44.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.61 CLP 1,602

-9.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.18 CLP 1,171

27.12%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.46 CLP 3,432

-39.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.27 CLP 8,215

130.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.16 CLP 5,122

-36.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$8.92 CLP 8,866

22.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.08 CLP 2,063

40.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.08 CLP 2,066

-18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.03 CLP 2,021

10.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$2.01 CLP 1,994

3.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.38 CLP 2,362

-36.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$2.17 CLP 2,153

-36.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.49 CLP 1,481

-28.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.17 CLP 1,166

-55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.67 CLP 4,635

-10.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$4.72 CLP 4,692

298.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.51 CLP 1,503

20.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.01 CLP 1,995

41.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.82 CLP 810

76.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$32.91 CLP 32.7K

72.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.77 CLP 766

292.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.48 CLP 1,474

-31.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$8.85 CLP 8,792

-58.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.30 CLP 1,291

13.08%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$11.9K CLP 11.8M

124.88%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$17.4K CLP 17.3M

53.53%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$137 CLP 136.2K

-29.72%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$11.31 CLP 11.2K

-0.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$22.74 CLP 22.6K

-25.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$47.54 CLP 47.2K

41.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$45.80 CLP 45.5K

-76.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.42 CLP 4,392

69.68%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$210 CLP 208.4K

126.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$2,764 CLP 2.7M

307.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$44.54 CLP 44.2K

40.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$17.35 CLP 17.2K

63.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$63.5 CLP 63.0K

48.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$82.2 CLP 81.7K

4.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$385 CLP 382.7K

85.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$319 CLP 316.4K

54.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$712 CLP 707.2K

170.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$503 CLP 499.6K

184.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,942 CLP 1.9M

115.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,632 CLP 1.6M

86.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$516 CLP 512.8K

-2.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.8

16.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Temuco: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Temuco

$319 29.9% 35.1% $172

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Temuco

$217 20.4% 18.5% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Temuco

$171 16.1% 37.5% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Temuco

$93 8.8% 23.4% $28

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Temuco

$163 15.3% 34.2% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Temuco

$56 5.3% 31.4% $26

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Temuco

$44 4.2% 37.1% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $385 in Temuco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Temuco pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $30 in Temuco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $217 per month, with Temuco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇱 Temuco

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

23:11 11:11 PM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

235,509

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 993 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,109 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Temuco 16,470 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Temuco

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 Temuco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Temuco is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $385 in Temuco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $210 in Temuco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Temuco gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Temuco 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.