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: $1,288 in Santa Lucia versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,836 in Santa Lucia versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,383 in Santa Lucia versus $2,913 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Lucia 7% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.16 CUP 244

$4.66 ฿154

118.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.99 CUP 720

$32.22 ฿1,065

-6.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 CUP 170

$8.68 ฿287

-18.43%

Cappuccino

$3.25 CUP 77.9

$2.90 ฿95.8

12.07%

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

$1.13 CUP 27.12

$0.84 ฿27.89

34.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 CUP 22.23

$0.49 ฿16.16

89.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 CUP 47.42

$2.48 ฿82.0

-20.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 CUP 70.3

$3.73 ฿123

-21.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 CUP 47.39

$1.89 ฿62.3

4.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 CUP 44.76

$1.41 ฿46.54

32.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 CUP 36.35

$1.62 ฿53.6

-6.79%

Eggs

$3.72 CUP 89.3

$2.24 ฿74.1

66.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.35 CUP 152

$19.84 ฿656

-67.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.77 CUP 138

$3.48 ฿115

65.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 CUP 266

$11.37 ฿376

-2.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 CUP 68.3

$2.90 ฿95.8

-1.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 CUP 37.89

$1.72 ฿57.0

-8.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 CUP 50.2

$2.27 ฿75.1

-7.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 CUP 53.3

$2.13 ฿70.4

4.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 CUP 47.24

$1.47 ฿48.72

34.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 CUP 41.40

$1.42 ฿46.92

21.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 CUP 23.42

$1.10 ฿36.25

-10.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 CUP 24.50

$0.60 ฿19.76

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 CUP 94.7

$4.31 ฿142

-8.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.03 CUP 289

$18.60 ฿615

-35.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CUP 38.80

$1.80 ฿59.5

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CUP 58.0

$2.97 ฿98.0

-18.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 CUP 4.47

$2.25 ฿74.2

-91.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.63 CUP 591

$23.49 ฿776

4.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 CUP 78.9

$3.10 ฿102

6.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 CUP 9.29

$1.08 ฿35.56

-63.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.88 CUP 357

$3.87 ฿128

284.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 CUP 24.77

$1.43 ฿47.16

-27.97%

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

$68.7K CUP 1.6M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

147.24%

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

$79.1K CUP 1.9M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

192.98%

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

$35.30 CUP 847

$105 ฿3,462

-66.32%

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

$15.05 CUP 361

$11.39 ฿376

32.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$252 CUP 6,044

$17.54 ฿580

1335.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.40 CUP 946

$54.3 ฿1,795

-27.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.04 CUP 361

$11.44 ฿378

31.47%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 CUP 24.48

$7.78 ฿257

-86.89%

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

$168 CUP 4,020

$576 ฿19.0K

-70.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,059 CUP 97.4K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-64.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 CUP 1,703

$63.6 ฿2,103

11.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 CUP 1,331

$29.10 ฿961

90.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CUP 2,429

$96.2 ฿3,179

5.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CUP 2,513

$90.0 ฿2,974

16.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 CUP 13.0K

$733 ฿24.2K

-26.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$345 CUP 8,281

$501 ฿16.5K

-31.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 CUP 18.0K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-64.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$496 CUP 11.9K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-60.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$335 CUP 8,034

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-90.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$371 CUP 8,903

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-85.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$55.5 CUP 1,331

$508 ฿16.8K

-89.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

5.57

-11.31%

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

Last update for Santa Lucia: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $543 in Santa Lucia and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 815% 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 $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $275 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. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 815% lower in Phuket. 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: $543 in Santa Lucia versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $168 in Santa Lucia versus $576 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 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,288 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.