Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $814 in Santa Fe versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,245 in Santa Fe versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,677 in Santa Fe versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Fe costs roughly 35% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Fe 39% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.84 ARS 10.1K

$4.55 ฿153

50.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.80 ARS 24.8K

$46.18 ฿1,554

-63.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.58 ARS 11.2K

$8.84 ฿298

-14.25%

Cappuccino

$1.63 ARS 2,414

$3.06 ฿103

-46.73%

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

$1.33 ARS 1,961

$0.73 ฿24.42

82.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 ARS 1,731

$0.40 ฿13.40

192.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 ARS 1,845

$2.43 ฿81.8

-48.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 ARS 3,657

$3.78 ฿127

-34.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 ARS 1,463

$2.26 ฿76.0

-56.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ARS 1,435

$1.81 ฿60.9

-46.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 ARS 2,669

$2.25 ฿75.8

-19.56%

Eggs

$1.53 ARS 2,260

$2.25 ฿75.6

-32.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 ARS 13.0K

$19.51 ฿656

-54.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 ARS 8,628

$3.65 ฿123

60.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.18 ARS 12.1K

$13.05 ฿439

-37.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ARS 2,795

$3.23 ฿109

-41.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 ARS 3,212

$1.62 ฿54.4

33.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 ARS 1,449

$2.38 ฿80.2

-58.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 ARS 3,900

$2.03 ฿68.2

30.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 ARS 764

$1.53 ฿51.6

-66.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ARS 2,101

$1.50 ฿50.5

-5.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 ARS 1,351

$0.98 ฿32.93

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ARS 2,765

$0.52 ฿17.40

259.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 ARS 4,930

$4.44 ฿149

-24.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.89 ARS 7,226

$18.32 ฿616

-73.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ARS 1,862

$1.86 ฿62.7

-32.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ARS 4,668

$2.68 ฿90.2

17.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ARS 1,512

$1.41 ฿47.49

-27.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 ARS 1,459

$3.11 ฿105

-68.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ARS 1,366

$1.04 ฿35.08

-11.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 ARS 9,109

$14.11 ฿475

-56.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ARS 1,570

$1.31 ฿44.13

-19.08%

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

$30.2K ARS 44.7M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

8.69%

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

$29.3K ARS 43.3M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-11.78%

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

$54.7 ARS 80.9K

$122 ฿4,120

-55.33%

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

$8.07 ARS 11.9K

$13.59 ฿457

-40.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.71 ARS 21.7K

$18.70 ฿629

-21.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.01 ARS 59.1K

$60.5 ฿2,035

-33.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.55 ARS 20.0K

$16.98 ฿572

-20.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 ARS 7,187

$9.07 ฿305

-46.42%

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

$216 ARS 318.8K

$706 ฿23.8K

-69.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,092 ARS 1.6M

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-93.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 ARS 91.6K

$58.6 ฿1,970

5.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 ARS 89.0K

$35.36 ฿1,190

70.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 ARS 160.8K

$115 ฿3,885

-5.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.1 ARS 142.1K

$83.7 ฿2,818

14.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 ARS 462.9K

$626 ฿21.1K

-49.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 ARS 297.0K

$445 ฿15.0K

-54.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 ARS 858.1K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-71.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ARS 476.3K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-78.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,247 ARS 1.8M

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-64.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,035 ARS 1.5M

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-59.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$831 ARS 1.2M

$500 ฿16.8K

66.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

100

5.33

1776.17%

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

Last update for Santa Fe: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $313 in Santa Fe and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Fe pays 66% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $17.00 in Santa Fe vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $289 per month, with Santa Fe 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 Fe vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Fe is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 66% higher in Santa Fe, 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: $313 in Santa Fe versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $216 in Santa Fe versus $706 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 Fe – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $814 in Santa Fe versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Fe but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Fe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santa Fe 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 Fe 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 Fe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.