Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Valparaiso Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Valparaiso

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,151 in Valparaiso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,674 in Valparaiso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,196 in Valparaiso.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than Valparaiso, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Valparaiso 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$9.65 CLP 8,674

-52.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$38.03 CLP 34.2K

22.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$8.55 CLP 7,681

-0.94%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.78 CLP 2,501

8.99%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.19 CLP 1,067

-42.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.87 CLP 785

-57.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$3.29 CLP 2,954

-24.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.33 CLP 3,895

-15.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.23 CLP 1,103

77.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.57 CLP 1,415

21.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.11 CLP 1,900

4.27%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$4.07 CLP 3,656

-45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$10.37 CLP 9,322

92.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.64 CLP 5,969

-44.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$9.74 CLP 8,750

36.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.80 CLP 1,619

79.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.55 CLP 1,397

9.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.59 CLP 1,428

50.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.48 CLP 1,328

40.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.18 CLP 1,056

34.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.35 CLP 1,213

9.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.34 CLP 1,202

-23.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.23 CLP 1,103

-57.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.46 CLP 4,011

-4.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.53 CLP 4,969

239.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.46 CLP 1,311

20.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.84 CLP 1,653

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.57 CLP 511

138.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$54.7 CLP 49.2K

-79.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.47 CLP 419

568.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.71 CLP 640

46.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$3.76 CLP 3,377

266.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.41 CLP 1,267

-4.96%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$14.9K CLP 13.4M

86.19%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$19.8K CLP 17.8M

71.26%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$134 CLP 120.1K

-7.54%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$13.75 CLP 12.4K

-1.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$22.01 CLP 19.8K

-15.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$22.74 CLP 20.4K

171.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$24.54 CLP 22.1K

-29.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.34 CLP 4,798

71.16%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$440 CLP 395.9K

59.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$8,751 CLP 7.9M

81.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$32.56 CLP 29.3K

82.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$21.65 CLP 19.5K

61.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$61.1 CLP 54.9K

88.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$50.5 CLP 45.4K

66.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$496 CLP 445.8K

24.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$439 CLP 394.2K

-1.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$702 CLP 630.5K

193.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$580 CLP 521.2K

160.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,703 CLP 1.5M

114.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,137 CLP 1.0M

131.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$785 CLP 705.6K

-35.42%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Valparaiso: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $496 in Valparaiso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valparaiso pays 55% 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 $38.00 in Valparaiso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $227 per month, with Valparaiso 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 Valparaiso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valparaiso is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Valparaiso earns 55% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $496 in Valparaiso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $440 in Valparaiso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,151 in Valparaiso versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Valparaiso but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Valparaiso the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Valparaiso 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 Valparaiso 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 Valparaiso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.