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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,617 in Santa Ana versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,659 in Santa Ana versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,701 in Santa Ana versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Ana is roughly 28% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Ana is 22% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.76 ₡4,377

$4.48 ฿150

117.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$45.59 ฿1,521

28.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 ₡4,246

$8.76 ฿292

8.11%

Cappuccino

$3.91 ₡1,755

$2.97 ฿99.0

31.65%

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

$1.90 ₡851

$0.69 ฿22.90

175.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ₡705

$0.39 ฿13.04

302.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 ₡1,324

$2.53 ฿84.4

16.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 ₡2,087

$3.75 ฿125

24.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ₡926

$2.15 ฿71.6

-3.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 ₡1,259

$1.82 ฿60.6

54.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ₡970

$2.18 ฿72.9

-0.92%

Eggs

$3.00 ₡1,346

$2.25 ฿75.0

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 ₡4,557

$20.00 ฿667

-49.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 ₡4,046

$3.63 ฿121

148.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.49 ₡6,047

$13.56 ฿452

-0.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.54 ₡2,034

$3.24 ฿108

40.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 ₡659

$1.64 ฿54.6

-10.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ₡723

$2.33 ฿77.8

-30.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 ₡1,524

$2.07 ฿69.1

64.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 ₡1,239

$1.55 ฿51.6

78.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 ₡1,452

$1.46 ฿48.54

121.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 ₡434

$0.98 ฿32.86

-1.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₡924

$0.48 ฿16.09

329.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.25 ₡2,354

$4.35 ฿145

20.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.22 ₡7,722

$18.57 ฿620

-7.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₡1,086

$1.86 ฿61.9

30.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,177

$2.65 ฿88.6

-0.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₡452

$1.42 ฿47.28

-28.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.09 ₡9,007

$11.57 ฿386

73.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₡832

$3.17 ฿106

-41.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 ₡840

$1.03 ฿34.41

81.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 ₡1,757

$13.89 ฿463

-71.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₡636

$1.34 ฿44.84

5.97%

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

$30.5K ₡13.7M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

9.73%

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

$32.7K ₡14.6M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-2.16%

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

$80.5 ₡36.1K

$123 ฿4,105

-34.59%

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

$25.51 ₡11.4K

$13.77 ฿459

85.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.62 ₡20.5K

$18.33 ฿611

148.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 ₡25.6K

$60.7 ฿2,025

-5.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.91 ₡10.7K

$17.16 ฿573

39.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 ₡4,412

$8.87 ฿296

10.94%

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

$578 ₡259.2K

$688 ฿22.9K

-15.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ₡5.6M

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-21.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$59.3 ฿1,978

5.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 ₡22.7K

$34.69 ฿1,157

45.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 ₡54.5K

$115 ฿3,843

5.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ₡47.3K

$83.8 ฿2,794

25.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 ₡398.5K

$621 ฿20.7K

43.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$636 ₡285.3K

$446 ฿14.9K

42.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 ₡672.9K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-26.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,408 ₡631.2K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-5.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,680 ₡1.2M

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-22.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,687 ₡756.6K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-33.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,390 ₡623.3K

$494 ฿16.5K

181.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

87.62%

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

Last update for Santa Ana: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $889 in Santa Ana and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Ana pays 182% 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: $59.0 in Santa Ana vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $291 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 vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 182% higher in Santa Ana, 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: $889 in Santa Ana versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $578 in Santa Ana versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Santa Ana. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,617 in Santa Ana, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Ana. 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, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Ana 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 28% less than in Santa Ana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.