Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Montt and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Montt and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,069 in Puerto Montt versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,608 in Puerto Montt versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,147 in Puerto Montt versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Puerto Montt costs roughly 15% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puerto Montt 20% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.54 CLP 7,577

$4.70 ฿153

81.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.81 CLP 33.6K

$45.37 ฿1,482

-16.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 CLP 6,524

$8.43 ฿275

-12.81%

Cappuccino

$2.95 CLP 2,622

$2.93 ฿95.6

0.68%

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

$0.99 CLP 875

$0.69 ฿22.40

43.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 CLP 901

$0.37 ฿11.99

175.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 CLP 2,837

$2.41 ฿78.6

32.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 CLP 3,755

$3.72 ฿122

13.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 CLP 1,074

$2.23 ฿72.9

-45.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 CLP 1,389

$1.83 ฿59.8

-14.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 CLP 1,725

$2.17 ฿70.8

-10.60%

Eggs

$3.30 CLP 2,927

$2.21 ฿72.3

49.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 CLP 10.5K

$19.74 ฿645

-40.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 CLP 5,847

$3.63 ฿119

81.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 CLP 9,891

$13.53 ฿442

-17.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 CLP 1,629

$3.28 ฿107

-43.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 CLP 1,319

$1.61 ฿52.6

-7.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,400

$2.41 ฿78.6

-34.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 CLP 1,687

$2.08 ฿68.1

-8.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 CLP 1,107

$1.53 ฿49.93

-18.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 CLP 1,247

$1.48 ฿48.36

-4.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 CLP 1,215

$0.99 ฿32.29

38.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CLP 1,403

$0.51 ฿16.67

209.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.89 CLP 4,340

$4.41 ฿144

10.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 CLP 5,403

$19.38 ฿633

-68.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CLP 1,330

$1.78 ฿58.1

-15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CLP 2,042

$2.71 ฿88.6

-15.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 CLP 545

$1.37 ฿44.79

-55.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 CLP 426

$3.02 ฿98.6

-84.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CLP 1,260

$1.36 ฿44.51

4.41%

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

$19.3K CLP 17.1M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-31.70%

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

$21.2K CLP 18.9M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-35.44%

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

$131 CLP 115.9K

$122 ฿3,975

7.29%

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

$11.64 CLP 10.3K

$13.57 ฿443

-14.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.35 CLP 19.8K

$18.31 ฿598

22.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.29 CLP 34.0K

$60.2 ฿1,967

-36.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.97 CLP 18.6K

$17.14 ฿560

22.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 CLP 4,897

$8.69 ฿284

-36.48%

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

$432 CLP 383.6K

$693 ฿22.6K

-37.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 CLP 45.6K

$59.5 ฿1,944

-13.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.89 CLP 27.4K

$34.77 ฿1,136

-11.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.4 CLP 55.4K

$115 ฿3,743

-45.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 CLP 73.7K

$83.3 ฿2,720

-0.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 CLP 423.9K

$613 ฿20.0K

-22.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 CLP 326.6K

$437 ฿14.3K

-15.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 CLP 785.7K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-57.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 CLP 522.7K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-60.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

5.33

-2.81%

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

Last update for Puerto Montt: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $478 in Puerto Montt and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Puerto Montt vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $293 per month, with Puerto Montt 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

Puerto Montt vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $1,604 in Puerto Montt and $1,898 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $478 in Puerto Montt versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $432 in Puerto Montt versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Montt – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,069 in Puerto Montt versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Montt but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Montt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Puerto Montt 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, Puerto Montt 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.

Expats usually find Puerto Montt 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.