Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $582 in Santa Cruz versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,056 in Santa Cruz versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,531 in Santa Cruz versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Cruz costs roughly 54% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Cruz 58% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.12 BOB 25.88

$4.56 ฿151

-53.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.61 BOB 203

$32.62 ฿1,082

-49.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.65 BOB 56.8

$8.90 ฿295

-47.75%

Cappuccino

$1.82 BOB 22.16

$2.80 ฿93.0

-35.00%

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

$0.49 BOB 5.96

$0.88 ฿29.19

-44.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 BOB 5.28

$0.49 ฿16.23

-12.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 BOB 12.02

$2.39 ฿79.2

-59.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 BOB 15.10

$3.71 ฿123

-66.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 BOB 9.49

$1.79 ฿59.3

-56.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 BOB 11.32

$1.44 ฿47.81

-35.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 BOB 12.93

$1.58 ฿52.6

-32.91%

Eggs

$1.06 BOB 12.94

$2.13 ฿70.5

-50.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.28 BOB 40.07

$19.92 ฿661

-83.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.71 BOB 33.03

$3.43 ฿114

-20.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.02 BOB 61.3

$11.33 ฿376

-55.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 BOB 20.41

$2.95 ฿97.8

-43.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 BOB 8.22

$1.72 ฿57.1

-61.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 BOB 9.84

$2.32 ฿77.1

-65.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.75 BOB 9.15

$2.08 ฿69.0

-63.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 BOB 8.38

$1.47 ฿48.77

-53.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 BOB 7.38

$1.36 ฿45.05

-55.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BOB 6.67

$1.10 ฿36.45

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 BOB 7.87

$0.57 ฿19.06

12.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 BOB 24.13

$4.27 ฿142

-53.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.27 BOB 52.1

$18.42 ฿611

-76.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 BOB 12.71

$1.87 ฿62.1

-44.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 BOB 19.48

$2.92 ฿96.9

-45.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 BOB 3.20

$2.22 ฿73.6

-88.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.36 BOB 273

$22.90 ฿759

-2.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BOB 20.37

$3.03 ฿101

-44.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 BOB 11.79

$1.07 ฿35.63

-9.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 BOB 75.1

$3.93 ฿130

56.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 BOB 6.74

$1.49 ฿49.49

-63.09%

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

$15.5K BOB 189.0K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

-42.89%

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

$19.4K BOB 236.3K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

-29.45%

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

$34.44 BOB 420

$103 ฿3,410

-66.50%

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

$19.90 BOB 243

$10.99 ฿365

81.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.08 BOB 233

$17.51 ฿581

8.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.23 BOB 235

$53.5 ฿1,776

-64.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 BOB 155

$11.20 ฿371

13.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 BOB 72.6

$7.48 ฿248

-20.45%

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

$126 BOB 1,532

$557 ฿18.5K

-77.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,948 BOB 36.0K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-75.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.02 BOB 317

$64.1 ฿2,125

-59.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.88 BOB 389

$29.07 ฿964

9.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 BOB 798

$96.0 ฿3,183

-31.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.8 BOB 693

$90.3 ฿2,997

-37.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 BOB 3,290

$730 ฿24.2K

-63.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 BOB 2,261

$500 ฿16.6K

-62.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 BOB 7,516

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-70.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 BOB 8,311

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-43.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,288 BOB 15.7K

$3,596 ฿119.3K

-64.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$744 BOB 9,071

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-70.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$291 BOB 3,555

$503 ฿16.7K

-42.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

5.57

10.77%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $270 in Santa Cruz and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 73% 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: $17.00 in Santa Cruz vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $114 vs $273 per month, with Santa Cruz 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 Cruz vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 115% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $270 in Santa Cruz versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $126 in Santa Cruz versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 141% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $582 in Santa Cruz versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santa Cruz is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.