Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Ana, CA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Ana, CA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,232 in Santa Ana, CA versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,722 in Santa Ana, CA versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,212 in Santa Ana, CA versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Ana, CA is roughly 159% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Ana, CA is 142% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 $17.75

$4.55 ฿153

290.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 $85.5

$46.18 ฿1,554

85.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.71 $14.71

$8.84 ฿298

66.40%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$3.06 ฿103

63.07%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$0.73 ฿24.42

263.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.40 ฿13.40

397.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 $6.90

$2.43 ฿81.8

183.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$3.78 ฿127

83.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.26 ฿76.0

-52.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.81 ฿60.9

116.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.25 ฿75.8

113.33%

Eggs

$7.20 $7.20

$2.25 ฿75.6

220.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 $11.98

$19.51 ฿656

-38.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.95 $15.95

$3.65 ฿123

336.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.28 $14.28

$13.05 ฿439

9.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.23 ฿109

33.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.62 ฿54.4

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.38 ฿80.2

68.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$2.03 ฿68.2

178.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.53 ฿51.6

107.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.50 ฿50.5

96.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.98 ฿32.93

104.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.52 ฿17.40

319.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.21 $11.21

$4.44 ฿149

152.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 $16.18

$18.32 ฿616

-11.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.86 ฿62.7

8.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.68 ฿90.2

31.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.41 ฿47.49

43.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.3 $68.3

$11.70 ฿394

483.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 $6.51

$3.11 ฿105

109.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.04 ฿35.08

171.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.30 $29.30

$14.11 ฿475

107.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.31 ฿44.13

-1.53%

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

$23.7K $23.7K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-14.95%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-26.42%

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

$155 $155

$122 ฿4,120

26.49%

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

$46.64 $46.64

$13.59 ฿457

243.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 $59.2

$18.70 ฿629

216.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.93 $24.93

$60.5 ฿2,035

-58.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.16 $10.16

$16.98 ฿572

-40.16%

Cinema Ticket

$14.05 $14.05

$9.07 ฿305

54.91%

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

$1,223 $1,223

$706 ฿23.8K

73.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

46.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.33 $48.33

$58.6 ฿1,970

-17.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.42 $33.42

$35.36 ฿1,190

-5.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 $84.3

$115 ฿3,885

-26.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 $83.3

$83.7 ฿2,818

-0.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,157 $2,157

$626 ฿21.1K

244.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,898 $1,898

$445 ฿15.0K

326.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,024 $3,024

$2,040 ฿68.7K

48.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,257 $3,257

$1,492 ฿50.2K

118.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,628 $4,628

$3,483 ฿117.2K

32.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,246 $4,246

$2,577 ฿86.7K

64.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,123 $3,123

$500 ฿16.8K

524.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.58

5.33

23.45%

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

Last update for Santa Ana, CA: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,157 in Santa Ana, CA and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Ana, CA pays 525% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $86.0 in Santa Ana, CA vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $432 vs $289 per month, with Phuket 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

Santa Ana, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 159% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 525% higher in Santa Ana, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,157 in Santa Ana, CA versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,223 in Santa Ana, CA versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Santa Ana, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $3,232 in Santa Ana, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Ana, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Santa Ana, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Ana, CA 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 159% less than in Santa Ana, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.