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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,718 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,981 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,244 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Clarita, CA is roughly 194% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Clarita, CA is 179% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 $18.42

$4.48 ฿150

311.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.1 $84.1

$45.59 ฿1,525

84.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.12 $15.12

$8.76 ฿293

72.60%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$2.97 ฿99.3

104.04%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$0.69 ฿22.96

356.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$0.39 ฿13.07

497.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.23 $9.23

$2.53 ฿84.7

264.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.07 $9.07

$3.75 ฿125

141.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.15 ฿71.8

-42.33%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 $4.03

$1.82 ฿60.7

121.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.18 ฿73.1

126.61%

Eggs

$5.55 $5.55

$2.25 ฿75.2

146.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$20.00 ฿669

15.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 $10.56

$3.63 ฿121

190.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.73 $16.73

$13.56 ฿453

23.38%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$3.24 ฿109

106.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.64 ฿54.7

24.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.33 ฿78.0

59.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.07 ฿69.3

43.00%

Potato (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$1.55 ฿51.8

558.06%

Onion (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.46 ฿48.67

198.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 $3.08

$0.98 ฿32.94

214.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$0.48 ฿16.13

512.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.19 $13.19

$4.35 ฿146

203.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 $15.10

$18.57 ฿621

-18.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.86 ฿62.1

-4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.65 ฿88.8

47.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.42 ฿47.40

79.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.10 $27.10

$11.57 ฿387

134.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.17 ฿106

87.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.03 ฿34.51

102.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.1 $51.1

$13.89 ฿465

268.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.34 ฿44.96

-9.70%

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

$20.1K $20.1K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

-27.85%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-21.58%

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

$232 $232

$123 ฿4,116

88.44%

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

$62.7 $62.7

$13.77 ฿461

355.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.8 $77.8

$18.33 ฿613

324.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.37 $36.37

$60.7 ฿2,030

-40.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.11 $25.11

$17.16 ฿574

46.33%

Cinema Ticket

$12.57 $12.57

$8.87 ฿297

41.71%

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

$1,449 $1,449

$688 ฿23.0K

110.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.4K $36.4K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

130.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 $71.2

$59.3 ฿1,984

20.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.74 $14.74

$34.69 ฿1,160

-57.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.25 $49.25

$115 ฿3,853

-57.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$83.8 ฿2,802

68.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,885 $2,885

$621 ฿20.8K

364.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,292 $2,292

$446 ฿14.9K

413.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,913 $3,913

$2,034 ฿68.0K

92.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,496 ฿50.0K

104.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 $3,734

$3,455 ฿115.6K

8.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,287 $4,287

$2,531 ฿84.7K

69.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,064 $5,064

$494 ฿16.5K

925.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

5.33

25.33%

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

Last update for Santa Clarita, CA: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,885 in Santa Clarita, CA and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Clarita, CA pays 926% 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: $84.0 in Santa Clarita, CA vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $476 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 Clarita, 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 194% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 926% higher in Santa Clarita, 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: $2,885 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,449 in Santa Clarita, CA 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 64% higher in Santa Clarita, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $3,718 in Santa Clarita, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Clarita, 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 Clarita, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Clarita, 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 194% less than in Santa Clarita, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.