Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Valdivia

For one person, living is cheaper in Valdivia: $1,001 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Valdivia
Learn more

Valdivia Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Valdivia

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,001

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Valdivia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,001 in Valdivia.

Phuket $1,278
Valdivia $1,001

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,518 in Valdivia.

Phuket $2,216
Valdivia $1,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,036 in Valdivia.

Phuket $3,154
Valdivia $2,036

Living in Phuket is roughly 28% more expensive than in Valdivia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Valdivia 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$6.15 CLP 6,010

-27.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$45.34 CLP 44.3K

-28.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.66 CLP 6,504

32.28%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.01 CLP 1,966

40.80%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.98 CLP 1,937

-56.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.27 CLP 1,242

-61.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$3.58 CLP 3,495

-28.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.48 CLP 3,403

5.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.16 CLP 1,137

43.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.33 CLP 1,296

9.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.51 CLP 1,471

-0.66%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.98 CLP 2,908

-29.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$8.87 CLP 8,670

114.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.53 CLP 6,377

-49.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$12.32 CLP 12.0K

-11.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.06 CLP 2,017

42.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.86 CLP 1,819

-9.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.79 CLP 1,750

25.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.84 CLP 1,800

13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.28 CLP 2,228

-33.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.49 CLP 1,461

-7.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.48 CLP 1,446

-27.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$1.12 CLP 1,098

-53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.14 CLP 5,023

-18.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$4.68 CLP 4,572

301.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.50 CLP 1,462

21.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.10 CLP 2,047

35.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.59 CLP 581

145.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.92 CLP 894

228.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.46 CLP 1,428

0.68%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$14.5K CLP 14.2M

84.44%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$17.0K CLP 16.6M

57.40%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$88.6 CLP 86.5K

8.80%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$13.62 CLP 13.3K

-17.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$30.40 CLP 29.7K

-44.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$41.14 CLP 40.2K

63.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$23.51 CLP 23.0K

-54.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.58 CLP 4,476

63.76%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$238 CLP 232.9K

99.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$3,049 CLP 3.0M

269.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$49.97 CLP 48.8K

24.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$17.41 CLP 17.0K

63.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$49.21 CLP 48.1K

91.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$76.8 CLP 75.1K

11.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$571 CLP 558.4K

25.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$369 CLP 360.5K

33.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$991 CLP 968.0K

94.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$550 CLP 537.4K

160.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$4,449 CLP 4.3M

-6.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$611 CLP 596.7K

-17.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.5

23.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Valdivia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Valdivia

$369 36.9% 24.8% $122

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Valdivia

$227 22.7% 14.7% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Valdivia

$133 13.3% 6.5% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Valdivia

$87 8.7% 28.6% $35

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Valdivia

$131 13.1% 7.8% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Valdivia

$50 5% 38.8% $32

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Valdivia

$3.3 * 0.3% 95.3% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $571 in Valdivia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valdivia pays 22% 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 $45 in Valdivia. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $227, with Valdivia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇱 Valdivia

🕒 Local time

03:24 3:24 AM

17:24 5:24 PM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

150,048

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.19 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,088 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Valdivia 16,370 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Valdivia

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 Valdivia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valdivia is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 18% 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 $571 in Valdivia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $238 in Valdivia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $45 in Valdivia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Valdivia 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.