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: $1,306 in Santa Lucia versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Santa Lucia versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,376 in Santa Lucia versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Lucia is roughly 4% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Lucia 2% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.95 CUP 239

$4.55 ฿153

118.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.34 CUP 728

$46.18 ฿1,554

-34.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 CUP 173

$8.84 ฿298

-18.55%

Cappuccino

$3.24 CUP 77.9

$3.06 ฿103

5.88%

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

$1.13 CUP 27.07

$0.73 ฿24.42

54.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 CUP 20.58

$0.40 ฿13.40

115.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 CUP 47.17

$2.43 ฿81.8

-18.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CUP 73.4

$3.78 ฿127

-19.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 CUP 46.17

$2.26 ฿76.0

-15.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 CUP 44.16

$1.81 ฿60.9

1.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 CUP 35.74

$2.25 ฿75.8

-33.78%

Eggs

$3.58 CUP 86.0

$2.25 ฿75.6

59.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 CUP 151

$19.51 ฿656

-67.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.68 CUP 136

$3.65 ฿123

55.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 CUP 260

$13.05 ฿439

-17.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 CUP 65.6

$3.23 ฿109

-15.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 CUP 37.89

$1.62 ฿54.4

-2.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 CUP 49.81

$2.38 ฿80.2

-12.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 CUP 55.5

$2.03 ฿68.2

13.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CUP 46.64

$1.53 ฿51.6

26.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 CUP 41.59

$1.50 ฿50.5

15.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.56

$0.98 ฿32.93

4.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 CUP 23.43

$0.52 ฿17.40

88.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 CUP 94.9

$4.44 ฿149

-11.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 CUP 292

$18.32 ฿616

-33.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CUP 39.08

$1.86 ฿62.7

-12.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CUP 58.0

$2.68 ฿90.2

-9.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 CUP 4.35

$1.41 ฿47.49

-87.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.29 CUP 607

$11.70 ฿394

116.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 CUP 80.3

$3.11 ฿105

7.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 CUP 9.22

$1.04 ฿35.08

-63.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.15 CUP 364

$14.11 ฿475

7.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 CUP 24.79

$1.31 ฿44.13

-21.37%

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

$70.1K CUP 1.7M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

152.19%

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

$80.3K CUP 1.9M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

141.69%

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

$35.06 CUP 841

$122 ฿4,120

-71.37%

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

$14.95 CUP 359

$13.59 ฿457

10.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$248 CUP 5,941

$18.70 ฿629

1223.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.65 CUP 976

$60.5 ฿2,035

-32.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.93 CUP 358

$16.98 ฿572

-12.07%

Cinema Ticket

$1.01 CUP 24.32

$9.07 ฿305

-88.86%

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

$163 CUP 3,920

$706 ฿23.8K

-76.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,997 CUP 95.9K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-74.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 CUP 1,698

$58.6 ฿1,970

20.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 CUP 1,323

$35.36 ฿1,190

55.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CUP 2,418

$115 ฿3,885

-12.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CUP 2,509

$83.7 ฿2,818

24.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 CUP 13.4K

$626 ฿21.1K

-10.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 CUP 8,470

$445 ฿15.0K

-20.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 CUP 18.1K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-62.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 CUP 12.2K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-65.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$345 CUP 8,278

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-90.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$379 CUP 9,087

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-85.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$56.6 CUP 1,358

$500 ฿16.8K

-88.68%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $559 in Santa Lucia and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 783% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $289 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 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 783% 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: $559 in Santa Lucia versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $163 in Santa Lucia versus $706 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 $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,306 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 4% less than in Santa Lucia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.