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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,678 in Santa Isabel versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,434 in Santa Isabel versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Santa Isabel versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Isabel is roughly 36% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Isabel is 25% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.62 $8.62

$4.63 ฿151

86.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 $73.6

$46.84 ฿1,523

57.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.25 $6.25

$8.84 ฿287

-29.30%

Cappuccino

$2.04 $2.04

$3.00 ฿97.4

-32.00%

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

$1.32 $1.32

$0.74 ฿24.11

78.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 $1.44

$0.37 ฿11.88

289.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.44 ฿79.3

-9.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$3.61 ฿117

0.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.26 ฿73.5

-41.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.84 ฿59.8

77.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.24 ฿73.0

-2.68%

Eggs

$5.99 $5.99

$2.32 ฿75.3

158.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 $8.64

$19.67 ฿639

-56.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 $8.55

$3.65 ฿119

134.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 $12.70

$13.10 ฿426

-3.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$3.39 ฿110

71.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.64 ฿53.4

60.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.41 ฿78.5

64.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.03 ฿66.0

96.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.56 ฿50.6

154.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.50 ฿48.66

104.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.02 ฿33.30

200.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.49 ฿15.91

304.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.08 $12.08

$4.45 ฿145

171.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.31 $15.31

$18.88 ฿614

-18.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.78 ฿57.7

37.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.75 ฿89.5

17.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 $0.66

$1.00 ฿32.48

-34.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.25 $15.25

$14.09 ฿458

8.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.35 ฿43.93

-29.63%

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

$23.4K $23.4K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-13.86%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-29.25%

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

$481 $481

$125 ฿4,063

285.20%

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

$80.5 $80.5

$13.57 ฿441

493.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 $59.1

$18.52 ฿602

219.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 $50.7

$61.5 ฿1,999

-17.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 $7.66

$9.19 ฿299

-16.65%

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

$469 $469

$698 ฿22.7K

-32.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K $10.6K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-32.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.17 $45.17

$57.8 ฿1,878

-21.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.41 $35.41

$35.24 ฿1,146

0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 $90.6

$113 ฿3,677

-19.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 $70.8

$86.4 ฿2,808

-18.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 $500

$616 ฿20.0K

-18.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 $370

$446 ฿14.5K

-17.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 $1,814

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-11.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 $546

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-63.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$975 $975

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-74.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$890 $890

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-66.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 $1,588

$524 ฿17.0K

203.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.75

5.33

-10.88%

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

Last update for Santa Isabel: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Santa Isabel and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Isabel pays 203% 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: $74.0 in Santa Isabel vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 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 Isabel vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Santa Isabel pays 203% 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: $500 in Santa Isabel versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $469 in Santa Isabel versus $698 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 $47.00 versus $74.0 in Santa Isabel. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,678 in Santa Isabel, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Isabel. 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 Isabel, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Isabel 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 36% less than in Santa Isabel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.