😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,624 in Santa Anna, TX versus $1,265 in Phuket.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,758 in Santa Anna, TX versus $2,297 in Phuket.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,891 in Santa Anna, TX versus $3,329 in Phuket.
😐Living in Santa Anna, TX is roughly 107% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Anna, TX is 96% above, Phuket is 6% below.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Santa Anna, TX
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.18$19.18
$4.70฿154
308.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.0$75.0
$45.37฿1,489
65.22%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.19$11.19
$8.43฿277
32.74%
Cappuccino
$5.00$5.00
$2.93฿96.1
70.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52$2.52
$0.69฿22.50
265.22%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03$2.03
$0.37฿12.04
448.65%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.12$6.12
$2.41฿79.0
153.94%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.14$7.14
$3.72฿122
91.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Santa Anna, TX
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.01$1.01
$2.23฿73.3
-54.71%
White Bread(500g)
$3.41$3.41
$1.83฿60.1
86.34%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$4.40$4.40
$2.17฿71.1
102.76%
Eggs
$4.12$4.12
$2.21฿72.6
86.43%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.33$12.33
$19.74฿648
-37.54%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$11.28$11.28
$3.63฿119
210.74%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$15.29$15.29
$13.53฿444
13.01%
Apples(1kg)
$4.93$4.93
$3.28฿108
50.30%
Banana(1kg)
$1.57$1.57
$1.61฿52.9
-2.48%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.13$4.13
$2.41฿79.0
71.37%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.83$4.83
$2.08฿68.4
132.21%
Potato(1kg)
$2.80$2.80
$1.53฿50.2
83.01%
Onion(1kg)
$2.76$2.76
$1.48฿48.58
86.49%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.09$2.09
$0.99฿32.44
111.11%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.19$2.19
$0.51฿16.74
329.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$9.84$9.84
$4.41฿145
123.13%
Wine(Bottle)
$15.05$15.05
$19.38฿636
-22.34%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76$1.76
$1.78฿58.4
-1.12%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.43$3.43
$2.71฿89.0
26.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Santa Anna, TX
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.05$2.05
$1.37฿44.99
49.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$11.39฿374
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.57$3.57
$3.02฿99.1
18.21%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.59$1.59
$0.99฿32.63
60.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$28.79$28.79
$14.10฿463
104.18%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.90$0.90
$1.36฿44.71
-33.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K$29.9K
$28.2K฿925.3K
6.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K$25.2K
$32.9K฿1.1M
-23.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santa Anna, TX
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$186$186
$122฿3,993
52.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$52.7$52.7
$13.57฿445
288.36%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$66.8$66.8
$18.31฿601
264.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Santa Anna, TX
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$43.64$43.64
$60.2฿1,976
-27.53%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.14฿562
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.65$13.65
$8.69฿285
57.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Santa Anna, TX
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,290$1,290
$693฿22.8K
86.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$23.2K$23.2K
$15.7K฿514.7K
47.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Santa Anna, TX
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.3$50.3
$59.5฿1,953
-15.45%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.41$40.41
$34.77฿1,141
16.22%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$86.1$86.1
$115฿3,760
-24.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$111$111
$83.3฿2,733
33.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Santa Anna, TX
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,595$1,595
$613฿20.1K
160.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,369$1,369
$437฿14.3K
213.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,600$2,600
$2,094฿68.7K
24.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,207$2,207
$1,509฿49.5K
46.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,329$2,329
$3,749฿123.0K
-37.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,552$2,552
$2,616฿85.8K
-2.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Santa Anna, TX
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$508฿16.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
6.51
5.33
22.14%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Santa Anna, TX: June 2, 2026
Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Santa Anna, TX and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $75.0 in Santa Anna, TX vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $293 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
Is Phuket cheaper than Santa Anna, TX?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $3,936 in Santa Anna, TX 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.
What is the rent difference between Santa Anna, TX and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,595 in Santa Anna, TX versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,290 in Santa Anna, TX versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Santa Anna, TX or Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $75.0 in Santa Anna, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Santa Anna, TX or Phuket?
At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,624 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.
Is Santa Anna, TX or Phuket more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Santa Anna, TX or Phuket?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Santa Anna, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Santa Anna, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared