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: $648 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,084 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,520 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas costs roughly 47% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 52% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.59 Q 19.80

$4.63 ฿151

-44.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.92 Q 122

$46.84 ฿1,523

-66.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 Q 48.06

$8.84 ฿287

-28.96%

Cappuccino

$3.33 Q 25.49

$3.00 ฿97.4

11.00%

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

$1.21 Q 9.28

$0.74 ฿24.11

63.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 Q 7.59

$0.37 ฿11.88

167.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 Q 25.58

$2.44 ฿79.3

36.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Q 34.59

$3.61 ฿117

25.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 Q 7.82

$2.26 ฿73.5

-54.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 Q 12.21

$1.84 ฿59.8

-13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.53 Q 4.08

$2.24 ฿73.0

-76.34%

Eggs

$1.61 Q 12.30

$2.32 ฿75.3

-30.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.69 Q 58.9

$19.67 ฿639

-60.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 Q 63.7

$3.65 ฿119

128.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 Q 66.6

$13.10 ฿426

-33.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 Q 26.59

$3.39 ฿110

2.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Q 11.65

$1.64 ฿53.4

-7.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 Q 24.29

$2.41 ฿78.5

31.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 Q 8.92

$2.03 ฿66.0

-42.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 Q 11.27

$1.56 ฿50.6

-5.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 Q 8.58

$1.50 ฿48.66

-25.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 Q 4.16

$1.02 ฿33.30

-47.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Q 5.79

$0.49 ฿15.91

55.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 Q 27.21

$4.45 ฿145

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 Q 63.8

$18.88 ฿614

-55.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 Q 12.35

$1.78 ฿57.7

-9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 Q 18.34

$2.75 ฿89.5

-12.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 Q 39.42

$3.12 ฿101

65.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 Q 4.53

$1.00 ฿32.48

-41.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.47 Q 118

$14.09 ฿458

9.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 Q 8.14

$1.35 ฿43.93

-21.48%

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

$19.7K Q 150.4K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-27.68%

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

$24.3K Q 185.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-26.24%

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

$79.7 Q 610

$125 ฿4,063

-36.20%

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

$26.35 Q 202

$13.57 ฿441

94.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.32 Q 201

$18.52 ฿602

42.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$7.00 Q 53.5

$9.19 ฿299

-23.83%

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

$106 Q 813

$698 ฿22.7K

-84.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,881 Q 45.0K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-62.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 Q 386

$57.8 ฿1,878

-12.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 Q 411

$35.24 ฿1,146

52.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 Q 883

$113 ฿3,677

2.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 Q 934

$86.4 ฿2,808

41.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 Q 1,381

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-87.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.9

5.33

66.98%

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

Last update for Santa Lucía Milpas Altas: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $16.00 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $292 per month, with Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $972 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 $106 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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 Santa Lucía Milpas Altas – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $648 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 90% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.