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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,877 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,619 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is roughly 48% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Cruz de Tenerife is 41% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.62 €15.36

$4.48 ฿150

293.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 €51.4

$45.59 ฿1,525

29.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 €9.21

$8.76 ฿293

20.66%

Cappuccino

$1.97 €1.72

$2.97 ฿99.3

-33.67%

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

$1.82 €1.58

$0.69 ฿22.96

163.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.88

$0.39 ฿13.07

158.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 €2.57

$2.53 ฿84.7

16.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 €2.81

$3.75 ฿125

-14.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.06

$2.15 ฿71.8

-43.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.82 ฿60.7

-3.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.32

$2.18 ฿73.1

-30.28%

Eggs

$3.02 €2.63

$2.25 ฿75.2

34.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.31 €15.09

$20.00 ฿669

-13.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 €7.61

$3.63 ฿121

140.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 €12.54

$13.56 ฿453

6.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.08

$3.24 ฿109

-26.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.64 ฿54.7

4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$2.33 ฿78.0

-29.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.29

$2.07 ฿69.3

27.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 €1.40

$1.55 ฿51.8

3.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 €1.46

$1.46 ฿48.67

15.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$0.98 ฿32.94

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.57

$0.48 ฿16.13

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 €4.38

$4.35 ฿146

15.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.99

$18.57 ฿621

-56.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.33

$1.86 ฿62.1

-17.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.51

$2.65 ฿88.8

-34.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.42 ฿47.40

24.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.97 €30.49

$11.57 ฿387

202.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.13

$3.17 ฿106

49.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.03 ฿34.51

23.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.48 €15.24

$13.89 ฿465

25.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.47

$1.34 ฿44.96

26.12%

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

$38.0K €33.2K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

36.88%

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

$30.0K €26.1K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-10.23%

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

$90.3 €78.8

$123 ฿4,116

-26.58%

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

$21.42 €18.67

$13.77 ฿461

55.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.60 €26.68

$18.33 ฿613

66.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 €44.71

$60.7 ฿2,030

-15.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.09 €9.67

$17.16 ฿574

-35.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.90 €8.63

$8.87 ฿297

11.61%

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

$353 €307

$688 ฿23.0K

-48.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,510 €7,419

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-46.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.3 €70.9

$59.3 ฿1,984

37.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.58 €29.28

$34.69 ฿1,160

-3.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 €74.1

$115 ฿3,853

-26.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.3 €61.3

$83.8 ฿2,802

-16.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 €1,007

$621 ฿20.8K

85.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 €847

$446 ฿14.9K

117.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,431

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-19.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 €1,122

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-13.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 €3,477

$3,455 ฿115.6K

15.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,184 €1,904

$2,531 ฿84.7K

-13.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,858 €1,620

$494 ฿16.5K

276.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.33

-34.33%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz de Tenerife: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,155 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife pays 276% 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: $59.0 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $278 vs $291, with Santa Cruz de Tenerife cheaper for home cooking.

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 de Tenerife vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 276% higher in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 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: $1,155 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $353 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santa Cruz de Tenerife pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,877 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. 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 Cruz de Tenerife, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Cruz de Tenerife 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 48% less than in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.