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: $3,747 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,999 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,251 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Clarita, CA is roughly 197% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Clarita, CA is 179% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.48 $18.48

$4.56 ฿149

305.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 $86.5

$46.63 ฿1,519

85.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 $15.07

$8.47 ฿276

77.92%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$3.03 ฿98.6

100.00%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$0.69 ฿22.45

349.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$0.37 ฿11.92

554.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.23 $9.23

$2.49 ฿81.0

270.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.81 $8.81

$3.66 ฿119

140.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.18 ฿71.0

-41.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.90 ฿62.0

106.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.20 ฿71.6

132.73%

Eggs

$5.51 $5.51

$2.22 ฿72.4

148.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$19.99 ฿651

16.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.59 $10.59

$3.66 ฿119

189.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 $16.84

$13.25 ฿432

27.09%

Apples (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$3.23 ฿105

100.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.70 ฿55.3

18.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.39 ฿78.0

55.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.08 ฿67.7

48.56%

Potato (1kg)

$10.22 $10.22

$1.59 ฿51.8

542.77%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.48 ฿48.31

205.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.03 ฿33.54

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$0.52 ฿16.83

469.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$4.25 ฿138

206.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$18.79 ฿612

-21.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.76 ฿57.2

-3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.76 ฿89.8

43.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.36 ฿44.32

87.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.06 $27.06

$11.36 ฿370

138.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.95 $5.95

$3.14 ฿102

89.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.04 ฿33.74

92.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.9 $51.9

$13.77 ฿448

276.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.34 ฿43.79

-9.70%

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

$19.9K $19.9K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-28.18%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-24.92%

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

$229 $229

$124 ฿4,025

85.31%

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

$62.0 $62.0

$13.52 ฿440

358.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.8 $75.8

$18.69 ฿609

305.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.72 $37.72

$61.8 ฿2,013

-38.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.63 $24.63

$17.25 ฿562

42.78%

Cinema Ticket

$12.32 $12.32

$9.14 ฿298

34.79%

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

$1,399 $1,399

$703 ฿22.9K

99.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.2K $37.2K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

134.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 $70.8

$59.5 ฿1,937

19.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.82 $14.82

$35.07 ฿1,142

-57.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.60 $49.60

$115 ฿3,754

-56.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$84.1 ฿2,737

68.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,961 $2,961

$619 ฿20.1K

378.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,276 $2,276

$433 ฿14.1K

426.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,890 $3,890

$2,062 ฿67.2K

88.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,165 $3,165

$1,511 ฿49.2K

109.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,665 $3,665

$3,646 ฿118.7K

0.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,276 $4,276

$2,626 ฿85.5K

62.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,246 $5,246

$507 ฿16.5K

934.64%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,961 in Santa Clarita, CA and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Clarita, CA pays 935% 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: $86.0 in Santa Clarita, CA vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $476 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 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 197% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Santa Clarita, CA pays 935% more on average, 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: $2,961 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,399 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Santa Clarita, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $3,747 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 197% less than in Santa Clarita, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.