🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,104 in Puente Alto versus $1,261 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,684 in Puente Alto versus $2,078 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,265 in Puente Alto versus $2,896 in Phuket.
🌍Living in Puente Alto costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Puente Alto19% lower, Phuket8% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Puente Alto
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.28CLP 6,718
$4.43฿145
64.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.7CLP 48.6K
$35.07฿1,151
50.19%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.58CLP 7,913
$8.96฿294
-4.24%
Cappuccino
$2.88CLP 2,656
$3.00฿98.4
-4.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44CLP 1,325
$0.77฿25.33
87.01%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35CLP 1,246
$0.47฿15.44
187.23%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.49CLP 3,217
$2.40฿78.6
45.42%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72CLP 3,433
$3.75฿123
-0.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Puente Alto
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.34CLP 1,234
$1.82฿59.8
-26.37%
White Bread(500g)
$1.68CLP 1,548
$1.42฿46.65
18.31%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.72CLP 1,589
$1.55฿50.8
10.97%
Eggs
$3.89CLP 3,586
$2.13฿69.9
82.63%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.52CLP 11.6K
$19.76฿648
-36.64%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$7.14CLP 6,585
$3.48฿114
105.17%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.17CLP 10.3K
$11.09฿364
0.72%
Apples(1kg)
$1.91CLP 1,766
$2.91฿95.5
-34.36%
Banana(1kg)
$1.60CLP 1,473
$1.66฿54.6
-3.61%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.70CLP 1,571
$2.27฿74.5
-25.11%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.67CLP 1,539
$2.10฿68.8
-20.48%
Potato(1kg)
$1.00CLP 924
$1.47฿48.24
-31.97%
Onion(1kg)
$1.47CLP 1,358
$1.41฿46.29
4.26%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.34CLP 1,233
$1.09฿35.78
22.94%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16CLP 1,066
$0.54฿17.58
114.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.50CLP 5,076
$4.48฿147
22.77%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.12CLP 5,645
$18.72฿614
-67.31%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69CLP 1,563
$1.84฿60.4
-8.15%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31CLP 2,129
$2.95฿96.7
-21.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Puente Alto
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.60CLP 552
$2.26฿74.1
-73.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$23.07฿757
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.71CLP 652
$3.04฿99.9
-76.64%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
-
$1.09฿35.82
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
-
$3.82฿125
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.72CLP 1,586
$1.49฿48.79
15.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.5KCLP 17.1M
$27.4K฿900.3K
-32.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.5KCLP 18.0M
$27.5K฿902.7K
-29.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puente Alto
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$105CLP 96.5K
$102฿3,340
2.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.26CLP 13.2K
$11.28฿370
26.42%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.84CLP 20.2K
$17.75฿582
23.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Puente Alto
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$37.11CLP 34.2K
$54.2฿1,777
-31.49%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.96฿360
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.22CLP 7,582
$7.85฿258
4.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Puente Alto
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$464CLP 427.9K
$577฿18.9K
-19.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,327CLP 8.6M
$11.6K฿381.6K
-19.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Puente Alto
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6CLP 53.2K
$65.4฿2,144
-11.81%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.38CLP 28.0K
$28.89฿948
5.16%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$55.0CLP 50.7K
$99.1฿3,250
-44.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.6CLP 79.9K
$90.3฿2,961
-4.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Puente Alto
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$559CLP 515.6K
$756฿24.8K
-26.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$360CLP 332.6K
$487฿16.0K
-26.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$922CLP 851.1K
$2,085฿68.4K
-55.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$674CLP 621.7K
$1,207฿39.6K
-44.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,591฿117.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,610฿85.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Puente Alto
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$502฿16.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.15
5.57
-7.54%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Puente Alto: August 18, 2026
Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $559 in Puente Alto and $756 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $53.0 in Puente Alto vs $35.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $272, with Puente Alto 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
Puente Alto vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Puente Alto?
Puente Alto is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,656 in Puente Alto and $1,891 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Puente Alto and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $559 in Puente Alto versus $756 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $464 in Puente Alto versus $577 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Puente Alto or in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Puente Alto – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $35.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Puente Alto or in Phuket?
At $1,104 in Puente Alto versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puente Alto but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puente Alto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Puente Alto or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Puente Alto 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, Puente Alto or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Puente Alto and Phuket 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 Puente Alto 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.
Puente Alto vs other spots: cost of living compared