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: $818 in Santa Cruz versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,366 in Santa Cruz versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Santa Cruz versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Cruz costs roughly 35% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Cruz 39% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 BOB 20.11

$4.70 ฿153

-37.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.95 BOB 185

$45.37 ฿1,482

-40.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 BOB 48.54

$8.43 ฿275

-16.01%

Cappuccino

$2.72 BOB 18.63

$2.93 ฿95.6

-7.17%

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

$0.82 BOB 5.65

$0.69 ฿22.40

18.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 BOB 4.54

$0.37 ฿11.99

78.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 BOB 9.82

$2.41 ฿78.6

-40.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 BOB 13.29

$3.72 ฿122

-47.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 BOB 7.42

$2.23 ฿72.9

-51.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 BOB 9.23

$1.83 ฿59.8

-26.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 BOB 9.18

$2.17 ฿70.8

-38.25%

Eggs

$1.84 BOB 12.66

$2.21 ฿72.3

-16.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.58 BOB 31.40

$19.74 ฿645

-76.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.14 BOB 28.40

$3.63 ฿119

14.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 BOB 43.05

$13.53 ฿442

-53.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 BOB 18.89

$3.28 ฿107

-16.16%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 BOB 6.31

$1.61 ฿52.6

-42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 BOB 7.73

$2.41 ฿78.6

-53.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 BOB 7.10

$2.08 ฿68.1

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 BOB 6.31

$1.53 ฿49.93

-39.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 BOB 6.43

$1.48 ฿48.36

-36.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 BOB 5.50

$0.99 ฿32.29

-19.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BOB 7.64

$0.51 ฿16.67

117.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.13 BOB 14.61

$4.41 ฿144

-51.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.44 BOB 51.1

$19.38 ฿633

-61.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 BOB 10.07

$1.78 ฿58.1

-17.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 BOB 14.06

$2.71 ฿88.6

-24.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 BOB 2.05

$1.37 ฿44.79

-78.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 BOB 146

$11.39 ฿372

86.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 BOB 19.73

$3.02 ฿98.6

-4.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 BOB 10.07

$0.99 ฿32.48

48.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 BOB 50.0

$14.10 ฿461

-48.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 BOB 3.77

$1.36 ฿44.51

-59.56%

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

$29.5K BOB 202.4K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

4.62%

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

$27.1K BOB 185.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-17.65%

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

$54.1 BOB 371

$122 ฿3,975

-55.51%

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

$22.94 BOB 157

$13.57 ฿443

69.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.45 BOB 229

$18.31 ฿598

82.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.55 BOB 216

$60.2 ฿1,967

-47.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.52 BOB 148

$17.14 ฿560

25.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 BOB 48.28

$8.69 ฿284

-18.99%

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

$201 BOB 1,377

$693 ฿22.6K

-71.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,258 BOB 29.2K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-72.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.30 BOB 290

$59.5 ฿1,944

-28.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.34 BOB 332

$34.77 ฿1,136

39.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 BOB 580

$115 ฿3,743

-26.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.0 BOB 411

$83.3 ฿2,720

-27.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 BOB 2,753

$613 ฿20.0K

-34.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 BOB 1,793

$437 ฿14.3K

-40.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 BOB 5,170

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-64.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 BOB 4,394

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-57.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,511 BOB 10.4K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-59.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$844 BOB 5,788

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-67.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$526 BOB 3,608

$508 ฿16.6K

3.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.33

25.14%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Santa Cruz and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Santa Cruz vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $293 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. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Santa Cruz pays 4% 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: $401 in Santa Cruz versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Santa Cruz versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $818 in Santa Cruz versus $1,265 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 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.