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: $1,870 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,648 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,427 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $3,310 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Cruz de Tenerife is 39% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.54 €15.12

$4.56 ฿149

284.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.4 €49.45

$46.63 ฿1,519

23.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 €8.83

$8.47 ฿276

21.02%

Cappuccino

$2.03 €1.75

$3.03 ฿98.6

-33.00%

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

$1.83 €1.58

$0.69 ฿22.45

165.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.91

$0.37 ฿11.92

186.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 €2.48

$2.49 ฿81.0

15.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.73

$3.66 ฿119

-13.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$2.18 ฿71.0

-43.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.90 ฿62.0

-10.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 €1.24

$2.20 ฿71.6

-34.55%

Eggs

$3.14 €2.71

$2.22 ฿72.4

41.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.82 €14.49

$19.99 ฿651

-15.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 €7.44

$3.66 ฿119

136.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 €12.28

$13.25 ฿432

7.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$3.23 ฿105

-22.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.70 ฿55.3

1.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 €1.37

$2.39 ฿78.0

-33.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$2.08 ฿67.7

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 €1.38

$1.59 ฿51.8

1.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.48 ฿48.31

12.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.03 ฿33.54

42.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.61

$0.52 ฿16.83

36.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 €4.43

$4.25 ฿138

20.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 €7.14

$18.79 ฿612

-55.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.76 ฿57.2

-11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.76 ฿89.8

-36.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.36 ฿44.32

25.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.38 €30.48

$11.36 ฿370

211.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 €4.08

$3.14 ฿102

50.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.04 ฿33.74

23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.42 €15.01

$13.77 ฿448

26.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.34 ฿43.79

20.15%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

39.43%

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

$29.6K €25.5K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-12.73%

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

$91.4 €78.8

$124 ฿4,025

-26.04%

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

$21.34 €18.39

$13.52 ฿440

57.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.32 €26.99

$18.69 ฿609

67.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 €43.56

$61.8 ฿2,013

-18.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.15 €9.61

$17.25 ฿562

-35.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 €8.68

$9.14 ฿298

10.28%

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

$343 €296

$703 ฿22.9K

-51.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,434 €7,267

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-46.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 €70.8

$59.5 ฿1,937

38.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.51 €28.88

$35.07 ฿1,142

-4.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €73.2

$115 ฿3,754

-26.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 €59.7

$84.1 ฿2,737

-17.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,007

$619 ฿20.1K

88.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$983 €847

$433 ฿14.1K

127.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 €1,395

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-21.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 €1,138

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-12.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 €3,440

$3,646 ฿118.7K

9.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,223 €1,915

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-15.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,899 €1,636

$507 ฿16.5K

274.55%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,169 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife pays 275% 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: $57.0 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $293, 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.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife pays 275% 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: $1,169 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $343 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $703 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 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,870 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.