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: $868 in Santa Cruz versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,448 in Santa Cruz versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,027 in Santa Cruz versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Cruz costs roughly 31% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Cruz 35% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.44 JMD 1,172

$4.53 ฿152

64.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 JMD 9,961

$46.36 ฿1,558

36.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 JMD 1,379

$8.65 ฿291

1.27%

Cappuccino

$4.35 JMD 685

$3.09 ฿104

40.78%

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

$1.35 JMD 213

$0.68 ฿22.79

98.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 JMD 112

$0.37 ฿12.38

91.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 JMD 384

$2.42 ฿81.2

0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 JMD 498

$3.81 ฿128

-17.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.44 JMD 699

$2.18 ฿73.2

103.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 JMD 569

$1.82 ฿61.1

98.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 JMD 248

$2.18 ฿73.2

-27.52%

Eggs

$3.58 JMD 564

$2.24 ฿75.1

59.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 JMD 1,719

$19.93 ฿670

-45.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 JMD 1,029

$3.64 ฿122

79.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.57 JMD 1,192

$13.56 ฿456

-44.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 JMD 934

$3.29 ฿111

80.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 JMD 474

$1.69 ฿56.6

78.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 JMD 653

$2.33 ฿78.4

77.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 JMD 475

$2.03 ฿68.1

48.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 JMD 330

$1.60 ฿53.8

30.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 JMD 314

$1.49 ฿50.2

33.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 JMD 468

$1.01 ฿34.02

194.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 JMD 233

$0.48 ฿16.02

208.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.88 JMD 1,398

$4.45 ฿150

99.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 JMD 1,756

$18.63 ฿626

-40.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 JMD 452

$1.79 ฿60.0

60.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 JMD 488

$2.80 ฿94.0

10.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 JMD 175

$3.09 ฿104

-64.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 JMD 487

$1.04 ฿35.03

197.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.36 JMD 1,001

$13.63 ฿458

-53.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 JMD 194

$1.31 ฿44.03

-6.11%

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

$42.8K JMD 6.7M

$27.3K ฿916.6K

56.99%

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

$33.4K JMD 5.3M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

0.56%

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

$161 JMD 25.4K

$123 ฿4,138

30.96%

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

$21.95 JMD 3,457

$13.81 ฿464

58.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 JMD 8,162

$18.52 ฿622

179.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,028

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿564

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 JMD 2,087

$8.89 ฿299

49.16%

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

$227 JMD 35.7K

$687 ฿23.1K

-66.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,505 JMD 394.4K

$15.6K ฿522.5K

-83.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.76 JMD 4,057

$57.6 ฿1,936

-55.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.96 JMD 4,087

$34.66 ฿1,165

-25.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 JMD 11.1K

$115 ฿3,861

-38.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.2 JMD 12.0K

$84.9 ฿2,853

-10.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿68.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿119.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$401 JMD 63.1K

$503 ฿16.9K

-20.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

5.33

71.67%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: July 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Phuket pays 26% 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: $63.0 in Santa Cruz vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $292 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 vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 26% 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.

Childcare runs $227 in Santa Cruz versus $687 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Cruz – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $868 in Santa Cruz versus $1,261 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 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.