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: $1,319 in Santa Cruz versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,032 in Santa Cruz versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Santa Cruz versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Cruz is roughly 4% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Cruz 4% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.51 JMD 1,180

$4.66 ฿154

61.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 JMD 9,839

$32.22 ฿1,065

94.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.53 JMD 1,025

$8.68 ฿287

-24.77%

Cappuccino

$5.37 JMD 844

$2.90 ฿95.8

85.17%

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

$1.25 JMD 196

$0.84 ฿27.89

48.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 JMD 107

$0.49 ฿16.16

38.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 JMD 355

$2.48 ฿82.0

-8.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 JMD 490

$3.73 ฿123

-16.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.21 JMD 661

$1.89 ฿62.3

122.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 JMD 397

$1.41 ฿46.54

79.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 JMD 254

$1.62 ฿53.6

Eggs

$3.53 JMD 554

$2.24 ฿74.1

57.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 JMD 1,802

$19.84 ฿656

-42.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 JMD 998

$3.48 ฿115

82.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 JMD 1,638

$11.37 ฿376

-8.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.98 JMD 939

$2.90 ฿95.8

106.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.93 JMD 618

$1.72 ฿57.0

128.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.46 JMD 1,171

$2.27 ฿75.1

228.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 JMD 469

$2.13 ฿70.4

39.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 JMD 506

$1.47 ฿48.72

119.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 JMD 411

$1.42 ฿46.92

83.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.15 JMD 495

$1.10 ฿36.25

186.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 226

$0.60 ฿19.76

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.61 JMD 1,510

$4.31 ฿142

122.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 JMD 1,803

$18.60 ฿615

-38.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 JMD 463

$1.80 ฿59.5

63.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 JMD 620

$2.97 ฿98.0

33.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 JMD 187

$3.10 ฿102

-61.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 JMD 482

$1.08 ฿35.56

184.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 JMD 1,009

$3.87 ฿128

65.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 JMD 217

$1.43 ฿47.16

-3.50%

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

$44.5K JMD 7.0M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

60.23%

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

$33.4K JMD 5.2M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

23.80%

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

$178 JMD 27.9K

$105 ฿3,462

69.52%

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

$28.99 JMD 4,554

$11.39 ฿376

154.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 JMD 8,178

$17.54 ฿580

196.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 JMD 5,829

$54.3 ฿1,795

-31.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 JMD 2,056

$7.78 ฿257

68.25%

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

$361 JMD 56.7K

$576 ฿19.0K

-37.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,150 JMD 1.3M

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-29.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.06 JMD 3,780

$63.6 ฿2,103

-62.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.68 JMD 4,977

$29.10 ฿961

8.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 JMD 12.0K

$96.2 ฿3,179

-20.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 JMD 16.4K

$90.0 ฿2,974

16.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 JMD 49.2K

$501 ฿16.5K

-37.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 JMD 79.2K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-59.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$409 JMD 64.3K

$508 ฿16.8K

-19.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

5.57

69.66%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Phuket pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Santa Cruz vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 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 vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 24% 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 $361 in Santa Cruz versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $63.0 in Santa Cruz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,319 in Santa Cruz, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Cruz. 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, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Santa Cruz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.