Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Anna, TX and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Anna, TX and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,549 in Santa Anna, TX versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,766 in Santa Anna, TX versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,983 in Santa Anna, TX versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Anna, TX is roughly 103% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Anna, TX is 86% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.59 $19.59

$4.56 ฿150

329.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 $80.7

$32.62 ฿1,072

147.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 $10.67

$8.90 ฿293

19.89%

Cappuccino

$5.74 $5.74

$2.80 ฿92.2

105.00%

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

$2.85 $2.85

$0.88 ฿28.93

223.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$0.49 ฿16.08

322.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 $5.81

$2.39 ฿78.5

143.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$3.71 ฿122

116.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.79 ฿58.7

-42.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.44 ฿47.38

145.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.58 ฿52.1

182.28%

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$2.13 ฿69.9

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 $11.19

$19.92 ฿655

-43.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$3.43 ฿113

230.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.06 $17.06

$11.33 ฿372

50.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.95 ฿96.9

62.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.72 ฿56.6

-18.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$2.32 ฿76.4

104.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.08 ฿68.4

134.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.47 ฿48.33

96.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.36 ฿44.64

125.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.10 ฿36.12

90.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.57 ฿18.89

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 $9.89

$4.27 ฿140

131.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 $15.15

$18.42 ฿605

-17.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.87 ฿61.5

3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.92 ฿96.0

14.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.22 ฿72.9

-1.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.03 ฿99.6

9.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.07 ฿35.31

43.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.41 $30.41

$3.93 ฿129

673.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.49 ฿49.04

-40.94%

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

$33.9K $33.9K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

25.10%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

-0.43%

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

$203 $203

$103 ฿3,379

97.06%

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

$57.6 $57.6

$10.99 ฿361

423.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$17.51 ฿576

303.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.09 $42.09

$53.5 ฿1,760

-21.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$14.23 $14.23

$7.48 ฿246

90.24%

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

$1,399 $1,399

$557 ฿18.3K

151.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K $26.2K

$11.9K ฿389.6K

121.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 $53.9

$64.1 ฿2,106

-15.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.75 $35.75

$29.07 ฿956

22.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 $82.3

$96.0 ฿3,154

-14.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$90.3 ฿2,970

28.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 $1,598

$730 ฿24.0K

118.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 $1,278

$500 ฿16.4K

155.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,471 $2,471

$2,090 ฿68.7K

18.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 $2,172

$1,209 ฿39.7K

79.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,361 $2,361

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-34.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,120 $2,120

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-15.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.12

5.57

9.87%

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

Last update for Santa Anna, TX: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,598 in Santa Anna, TX and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Santa Anna, TX vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $395 vs $273 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 Anna, TX vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,823 in Santa Anna, TX and $1,880 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: $1,598 in Santa Anna, TX versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,399 in Santa Anna, TX versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $81.0 in Santa Anna, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,549 in Santa Anna, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Anna, TX. 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 Anna, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Anna, TX 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 103% less than in Santa Anna, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.