Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vina del Mar Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vina del Mar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,065 in Vina del Mar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,702 in Vina del Mar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,338 in Vina del Mar.

Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than Vina del Mar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Vina del Mar 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$7.04 CLP 6,323

-35.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$53.8 CLP 48.4K

-13.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.73 CLP 6,950

9.57%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.68 CLP 2,409

13.06%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.14 CLP 1,027

-39.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.83 CLP 748

-55.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.11 CLP 1,900

18.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.40 CLP 3,058

7.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.21 CLP 1,092

80.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.28 CLP 1,148

48.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.70 CLP 1,525

29.41%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.98 CLP 2,678

-25.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.85 CLP 8,855

102.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.04 CLP 4,528

-27.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$11.16 CLP 10.0K

18.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.94 CLP 1,742

66.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.51 CLP 1,360

12.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.43 CLP 1,281

67.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.44 CLP 1,295

44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.30 CLP 1,172

22.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.46 CLP 1,310

1.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.04 CLP 933

-0.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.11 CLP 994

-53.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.95 CLP 4,452

-14.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$7.47 CLP 6,713

151.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.54 CLP 1,380

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.40 CLP 2,160

15.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.57 CLP 512

138.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$37.37 CLP 33.6K

-69.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.51 CLP 459

515.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.48 CLP 1,328

-29.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$11.65 CLP 10.5K

18.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.36 CLP 1,225

-1.47%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$19.7K CLP 17.7M

40.53%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$18.6K CLP 16.8M

81.65%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$130 CLP 116.6K

-4.71%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$13.30 CLP 12.0K

1.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$19.44 CLP 17.5K

-3.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$54.2 CLP 48.7K

14.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$21.47 CLP 19.3K

-19.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.52 CLP 4,959

65.58%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$430 CLP 386.6K

63.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$5,357 CLP 4.8M

196.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$48.02 CLP 43.2K

23.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$31.70 CLP 28.5K

10.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$62.0 CLP 55.7K

85.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$85.1 CLP 76.5K

-1.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$451 CLP 405.5K

37.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$337 CLP 302.7K

28.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$819 CLP 736.1K

151.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$632 CLP 567.7K

139.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,493 CLP 2.2M

46.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,608 CLP 1.4M

63.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,107 CLP 995.2K

-54.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.83

10.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Vina del Mar: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $451 in Vina del Mar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vina del Mar pays 118% 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 $54.0 in Vina del Mar. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $215, with Vina del Mar cheaper for home cooking.

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 Vina del Mar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vina del Mar is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Vina del Mar earns 118% 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 $451 in Vina del Mar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $430 in Vina del Mar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,065 in Vina del Mar versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vina del Mar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Vina del Mar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Vina del Mar 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 Vina del Mar 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 Vina del Mar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.