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: $1,046 in Santa Ana versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Santa Ana versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,257 in Santa Ana versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Ana costs roughly 17% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Ana 24% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.91 $6.91

$4.66 ฿154

48.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.83 $43.83

$32.22 ฿1,065

36.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 $6.82

$8.68 ฿287

-21.43%

Cappuccino

$3.53 $3.53

$2.90 ฿95.8

21.72%

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

$1.11 $1.11

$0.84 ฿27.89

32.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 $0.80

$0.49 ฿16.16

63.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.48 ฿82.0

-18.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.73 ฿123

-8.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.89 ฿62.3

-5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.41 ฿46.54

99.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.62 ฿53.6

-14.81%

Eggs

$3.02 $3.02

$2.24 ฿74.1

34.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 $7.91

$19.84 ฿656

-60.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 $6.90

$3.48 ฿115

98.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.27 $10.27

$11.37 ฿376

-9.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.90 ฿95.8

75.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.72 ฿57.0

-11.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.27 ฿75.1

24.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.13 ฿70.4

61.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.47 ฿48.72

105.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$1.42 ฿46.92

127.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.10 ฿36.25

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.60 ฿19.76

63.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.31 ฿142

-6.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 $12.10

$18.60 ฿615

-34.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.80 ฿59.5

22.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.97 ฿98.0

-3.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 $0.29

$2.25 ฿74.2

-87.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.10 ฿102

89.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.08 ฿35.56

171.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.24 $20.24

$3.87 ฿128

423.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.43 ฿47.16

-34.27%

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

$23.2K $23.2K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-16.50%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

2.76%

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

$39.28 $39.28

$105 ฿3,462

-62.52%

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

$21.56 $21.56

$11.39 ฿376

89.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.77 $38.77

$17.54 ฿580

121.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.89 $34.89

$54.3 ฿1,795

-35.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 $5.03

$7.78 ฿257

-35.35%

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

$161 $161

$576 ฿19.0K

-72.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,631 $4,631

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-60.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 $67.1

$63.6 ฿2,103

5.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.80 $47.80

$29.10 ฿961

64.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$96.2 ฿3,179

24.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$90.0 ฿2,974

27.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 $659

$733 ฿24.2K

-10.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 $270

$501 ฿16.5K

-46.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 $1,002

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-52.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 $449

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-64.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$453 $453

$508 ฿16.8K

-10.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-10.23%

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

Last update for Santa Ana: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Santa Ana and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 12% 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: $44.00 in Santa Ana vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $275 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

Santa Ana is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $659 in Santa Ana versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $161 in Santa Ana versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Ana – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,046 in Santa Ana versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Ana but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Ana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santa Ana 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, 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 Santa Ana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.