Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $756 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,240 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,724 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas costs roughly 39% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 45% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.97 Q 53.1

$4.41 ฿147

58.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 Q 384

$32.26 ฿1,077

56.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 Q 60.6

$8.93 ฿298

-10.97%

Cappuccino

$3.42 Q 26.03

$2.90 ฿96.6

17.93%

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

$1.11 Q 8.45

$0.88 ฿29.38

26.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 Q 6.42

$0.48 ฿16.06

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 Q 24.61

$2.35 ฿78.5

37.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 Q 35.44

$3.72 ฿124

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 Q 16.08

$1.87 ฿62.3

12.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 Q 21.85

$1.47 ฿48.94

95.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 Q 16.23

$1.55 ฿51.8

37.42%

Eggs

$2.49 Q 18.98

$2.10 ฿70.1

18.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 Q 47.92

$19.59 ฿654

-67.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.19 Q 70.1

$3.42 ฿114

168.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 Q 103

$11.38 ฿380

18.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 Q 30.54

$2.98 ฿99.6

34.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 Q 12.66

$1.68 ฿56.2

-1.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 Q 21.90

$2.21 ฿73.7

29.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 Q 12.53

$2.16 ฿72.1

-24.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 Q 11.70

$1.52 ฿50.9

1.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 Q 15.94

$1.34 ฿44.67

55.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 Q 5.68

$1.13 ฿37.67

-33.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 Q 9.24

$0.55 ฿18.24

120.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 Q 31.39

$4.26 ฿142

-3.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 Q 61.5

$19.09 ฿637

-57.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 Q 13.10

$1.78 ฿59.4

-3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 Q 19.70

$2.78 ฿92.9

-7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 Q 40.29

$3.03 ฿101

74.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.51 Q 80.1

$3.89 ฿130

170.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 Q 9.32

$1.49 ฿49.77

-18.12%

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

$27.8K Q 212.0K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

4.63%

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

$25.3K Q 192.9K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-6.38%

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

$75.6 Q 576

$102 ฿3,420

-26.19%

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

$29.40 Q 224

$11.33 ฿378

159.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.14 Q 352

$17.40 ฿581

165.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 Q 49.26

$7.69 ฿257

-15.99%

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

$347 Q 2,645

$561 ฿18.7K

-38.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Q 50.3K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-42.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.08 Q 359

$63.0 ฿2,104

-25.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.86 Q 357

$29.52 ฿986

58.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 Q 847

$98.0 ฿3,272

13.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Q 845

$88.5 ฿2,954

25.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

5.57

108.62%

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

Last update for Santa Lucía Milpas Altas: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $50.0 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $274 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 Lucía Milpas Altas vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,133 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $347 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $561 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 Lucía Milpas Altas – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $756 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Lucía Milpas Altas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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 Lucía Milpas Altas 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 Lucía Milpas Altas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.