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: $3,713 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,979 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,244 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Clarita, CA is roughly 193% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Clarita, CA is 169% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.10 $20.10

$4.66 ฿154

331.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$32.22 ฿1,065

211.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.56 $13.56

$8.68 ฿287

56.22%

Cappuccino

$5.95 $5.95

$2.90 ฿95.8

105.17%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$0.84 ฿27.89

263.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$0.49 ฿16.16

438.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.48 ฿82.0

225.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.77 $8.77

$3.73 ฿123

135.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.89 ฿62.3

-38.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 $3.87

$1.41 ฿46.54

174.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.62 ฿53.6

191.98%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$2.24 ฿74.1

124.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.28 $17.28

$19.84 ฿656

-12.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 $8.08

$3.48 ฿115

132.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 $16.70

$11.37 ฿376

46.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$2.90 ฿95.8

57.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.72 ฿57.0

11.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.27 ฿75.1

30.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.13 ฿70.4

39.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.47 ฿48.72

122.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.42 ฿46.92

85.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.10 ฿36.25

95.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.60 ฿19.76

255.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.75 $11.75

$4.31 ฿142

172.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.27 $16.27

$18.60 ฿615

-12.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.80 ฿59.5

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.97 ฿98.0

8.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.25 ฿74.2

12.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.74 $26.74

$23.49 ฿776

13.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.10 ฿102

-1.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.08 ฿35.56

92.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.90 $27.90

$3.87 ฿128

620.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.43 ฿47.16

-13.29%

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

$23.7K $23.7K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-14.83%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-3.86%

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

$250 $250

$105 ฿3,462

138.18%

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

$56.4 $56.4

$11.39 ฿376

395.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.6 $83.6

$17.54 ฿580

376.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.62 $36.62

$54.3 ฿1,795

-32.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.49 $25.49

$11.44 ฿378

122.81%

Cinema Ticket

$16.80 $16.80

$7.78 ฿257

115.94%

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

$1,987 $1,987

$576 ฿19.0K

244.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.7K $35.7K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

208.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 $69.0

$63.6 ฿2,103

8.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.67 $27.67

$29.10 ฿961

-4.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 $71.5

$96.2 ฿3,179

-25.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$90.0 ฿2,974

19.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,955 $2,955

$733 ฿24.2K

302.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,278 $2,278

$501 ฿16.5K

354.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,961 $3,961

$2,126 ฿70.2K

86.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,166 $3,166

$1,252 ฿41.4K

152.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,725 $3,725

$3,534 ฿116.8K

5.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,371 $4,371

$2,622 ฿86.6K

66.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,135 $5,135

$508 ฿16.8K

911.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.13

5.57

10.05%

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

Last update for Santa Clarita, CA: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,955 in Santa Clarita, CA and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Clarita, CA pays 912% 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: $100 in Santa Clarita, CA vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 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 Clarita, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 193% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 912% 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: $2,955 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,987 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Santa Clarita, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,713 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 193% less than in Santa Clarita, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.