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: $2,015 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,890 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,766 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is roughly 59% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Cruz de Tenerife is 46% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.32 €18.38

$4.66 ฿154

357.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.3 €55.4

$32.22 ฿1,065

99.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 €10.16

$8.68 ฿287

35.83%

Cappuccino

$2.12 €1.83

$2.90 ฿95.8

-26.90%

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

$2.04 €1.75

$0.84 ฿27.89

142.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.12

$0.49 ฿16.16

165.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 €2.49

$2.48 ฿82.0

16.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €2.98

$3.73 ฿123

-7.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.08

$1.89 ฿62.3

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 €2.22

$1.41 ฿46.54

82.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.43

$1.62 ฿53.6

1.85%

Eggs

$4.39 €3.79

$2.24 ฿74.1

95.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.60 €17.76

$19.84 ฿656

3.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.37 €8.93

$3.48 ฿115

197.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.55

$11.37 ฿376

58.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.90 ฿95.8

-4.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.72 ฿57.0

43.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.27 ฿75.1

-1.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.13 ฿70.4

23.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$1.47 ฿48.72

52.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.42 ฿46.92

47.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.10 ฿36.25

59.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.84

$0.60 ฿19.76

63.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.70 €4.91

$4.31 ฿142

32.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.35 €7.20

$18.60 ฿615

-55.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.80 ฿59.5

-7.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.55

$2.97 ฿98.0

-39.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 €1.27

$2.25 ฿74.2

-34.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.93 €37.87

$23.49 ฿776

87.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.78

$3.10 ฿102

41.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.08 ฿35.56

63.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.56 €15.14

$3.87 ฿128

353.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.43

$1.43 ฿47.16

15.38%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

31.96%

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

$30.3K €26.1K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

12.11%

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

$134 €115

$105 ฿3,462

27.66%

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

$23.36 €20.14

$11.39 ฿376

105.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.81 €31.73

$17.54 ฿580

109.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €47.05

$54.3 ฿1,795

0.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.18 €10.50

$11.44 ฿378

6.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.38 €8.95

$7.78 ฿257

33.42%

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

$428 €369

$576 ฿19.0K

-25.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,246 €4,522

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-54.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.3 €83.8

$63.6 ฿2,103

52.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.40 €37.41

$29.10 ฿961

49.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 €81.4

$96.2 ฿3,179

-1.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €101

$90.0 ฿2,974

29.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 €1,036

$733 ฿24.2K

63.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$923 €795

$501 ฿16.5K

84.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 €1,555

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-15.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 €1,145

$1,252 ฿41.4K

6.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,025 €3,470

$3,534 ฿116.8K

13.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 €1,920

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-15.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,923 €1,658

$508 ฿16.8K

278.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.56

5.57

-36.09%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz de Tenerife: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,202 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife pays 279% 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: $64.0 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 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 Cruz de Tenerife vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 279% 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: $1,202 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife 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 23% higher in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,015 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 59% less than in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.