😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,078 in Vina del Mar.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,679 in Vina del Mar.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,279 in Vina del Mar.
😐Living in Phuket is roughly 14% more expensive than Vina del Mar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket8% lower, Vina del Mar19% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Vina del Mar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63฿151
$7.00CLP 6,224
-33.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84฿1,532
$53.2CLP 47.3K
-11.92%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.84฿289
$7.42CLP 6,599
19.14%
Cappuccino
$3.00฿98.0
$2.78CLP 2,475
7.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74฿24.25
$1.16CLP 1,031
-36.21%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.95
$0.91CLP 809
-59.34%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.44฿79.8
$2.18CLP 1,940
11.93%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61฿118
$3.44CLP 3,060
4.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Vina del Mar
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.26฿73.9
$1.17CLP 1,037
93.16%
White Bread(500g)
$1.84฿60.1
$1.32CLP 1,176
39.39%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24฿73.4
$1.67CLP 1,485
34.13%
Eggs
$2.32฿75.7
$3.01CLP 2,676
-22.92%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.67฿643
$9.98CLP 8,877
97.09%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65฿119
$4.97CLP 4,420
-26.56%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.10฿428
$10.79CLP 9,593
21.41%
Apples(1kg)
$3.39฿111
$1.86CLP 1,654
82.26%
Banana(1kg)
$1.64฿53.7
$1.44CLP 1,281
13.89%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41฿79.0
$1.41CLP 1,254
70.92%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.03฿66.4
$1.40CLP 1,246
45.00%
Potato(1kg)
$1.56฿50.9
$1.30CLP 1,158
20.00%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50฿48.94
$1.39CLP 1,239
7.91%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.02฿33.50
$1.03CLP 920
-0.97%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49฿16.00
$1.08CLP 958
-54.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45฿145
$4.92CLP 4,378
-9.55%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.88฿617
$6.76CLP 6,008
179.29%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78฿58.1
$1.56CLP 1,383
14.10%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75฿90.1
$2.36CLP 2,099
16.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Vina del Mar
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.40฿45.81
$0.56CLP 501
150.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.48฿376
$37.09CLP 33.0K
-69.05%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.12฿102
$0.51CLP 450
511.76%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.00฿32.67
$1.40CLP 1,245
-28.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.09฿461
$11.74CLP 10.4K
20.02%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.35฿44.19
$1.36CLP 1,213
-0.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K฿888.9K
$19.4KCLP 17.2M
40.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K฿1.1M
$18.6KCLP 16.6M
76.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Vina del Mar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$125฿4,087
$130CLP 115.5K
-3.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57฿444
$13.82CLP 12.3K
-1.81%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52฿606
$19.63CLP 17.5K
-5.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Vina del Mar
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.5฿2,010
$54.8CLP 48.7K
12.27%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84฿551
$21.31CLP 18.9K
-20.98%
Cinema Ticket
$9.19฿300
$5.31CLP 4,723
73.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Vina del Mar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$698฿22.8K
$438CLP 389.5K
59.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.6K฿509.9K
$5,351CLP 4.8M
191.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Vina del Mar
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8฿1,889
$48.28CLP 42.9K
19.64%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24฿1,152
$31.97CLP 28.4K
10.23%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$113฿3,699
$61.6CLP 54.7K
83.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4฿2,825
$84.9CLP 75.5K
1.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Vina del Mar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$616฿20.1K
$450CLP 400.0K
36.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$446฿14.6K
$331CLP 294.0K
34.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,048฿67.0K
$840CLP 747.2K
143.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,492฿48.8K
$637CLP 566.3K
134.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,779฿123.6K
$2,550CLP 2.3M
48.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,649฿86.6K
$1,707CLP 1.5M
55.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Vina del Mar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$524฿17.1K
$1,158CLP 1.0M
-54.76%
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: April 27, 2026
Last update for Vina del Mar: April 26, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $450 in Vina del Mar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Vina del Mar pays 121% 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 $53.0 in Vina del Mar. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $211, 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
Is Vina del Mar cheaper than Phuket?
Vina del Mar is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Vina del Mar?
On paper, Vina del Mar earns 121% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Vina del Mar?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $450 in Vina del Mar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $438 in Vina del Mar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and Vina del Mar?
Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for Phuket or Vina del Mar?
At $1,078 in Vina del Mar versus $1,232 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.
Is Phuket or Vina del Mar more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Vina del Mar?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Vina del Mar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.