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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,295 in Santa Lucia versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,848 in Santa Lucia versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,401 in Santa Lucia versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Lucia is roughly 2% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Lucia 3% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.17 CUP 244

$4.70 ฿153

116.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.41 CUP 730

$45.37 ฿1,482

-32.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 CUP 165

$8.43 ฿275

-18.51%

Cappuccino

$3.22 CUP 77.2

$2.93 ฿95.6

9.90%

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

$1.07 CUP 25.64

$0.69 ฿22.40

55.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 CUP 21.88

$0.37 ฿11.99

145.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 CUP 48.70

$2.41 ฿78.6

-15.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CUP 72.4

$3.72 ฿122

-19.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 CUP 47.35

$2.23 ฿72.9

-11.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 CUP 45.53

$1.83 ฿59.8

3.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 CUP 35.67

$2.17 ฿70.8

-31.34%

Eggs

$3.59 CUP 86.1

$2.21 ฿72.3

62.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.50 CUP 156

$19.74 ฿645

-67.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 CUP 140

$3.63 ฿119

60.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 CUP 259

$13.53 ฿442

-20.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 CUP 68.2

$3.28 ฿107

-13.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 CUP 38.13

$1.61 ฿52.6

-1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 CUP 47.79

$2.41 ฿78.6

-17.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 CUP 55.1

$2.08 ฿68.1

10.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 CUP 48.32

$1.53 ฿49.93

31.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CUP 42.39

$1.48 ฿48.36

19.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.47

$0.99 ฿32.29

3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 CUP 23.44

$0.51 ฿16.67

92.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 CUP 98.4

$4.41 ฿144

-7.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 CUP 289

$19.38 ฿633

-37.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 CUP 38.60

$1.78 ฿58.1

-9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 CUP 54.9

$2.71 ฿88.6

-15.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 CUP 5.49

$1.37 ฿44.79

-83.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.53 CUP 589

$11.39 ฿372

115.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CUP 76.0

$3.02 ฿98.6

4.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 CUP 9.90

$0.99 ฿32.48

-58.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.25 CUP 366

$14.10 ฿461

8.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 CUP 25.93

$1.36 ฿44.51

-20.59%

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

$70.5K CUP 1.7M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

150.07%

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

$80.0K CUP 1.9M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

143.26%

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

$35.40 CUP 850

$122 ฿3,975

-70.91%

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

$15.23 CUP 365

$13.57 ฿443

12.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$252 CUP 6,052

$18.31 ฿598

1277.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 CUP 947

$60.2 ฿1,967

-34.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 CUP 355

$17.14 ฿560

-13.65%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.51

$8.69 ฿284

-88.72%

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

$164 CUP 3,934

$693 ฿22.6K

-76.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,942 CUP 94.6K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-74.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 CUP 1,705

$59.5 ฿1,944

19.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 CUP 1,328

$34.77 ฿1,136

59.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 CUP 2,395

$115 ฿3,743

-12.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CUP 2,505

$83.3 ฿2,720

25.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 CUP 13.2K

$613 ฿20.0K

-10.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$345 CUP 8,291

$437 ฿14.3K

-20.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 CUP 18.3K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-63.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 CUP 12.2K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-66.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$337 CUP 8,098

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-91.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$379 CUP 9,103

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-85.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$55.0 CUP 1,320

$508 ฿16.6K

-89.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

5.33

-7.32%

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

Last update for Santa Lucia: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $552 in Santa Lucia and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 824% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Santa Lucia vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $245 vs $293 per month, with Santa Lucia cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Santa Lucia vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 824% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $552 in Santa Lucia versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Santa Lucia versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santa Lucia pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,295 in Santa Lucia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Lucia. 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 Lucia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Lucia 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 2% less than in Santa Lucia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.