Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Maria, CA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Maria, CA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,954 in Santa Maria, CA versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,163 in Santa Maria, CA versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,373 in Santa Maria, CA versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Maria, CA is roughly 136% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Maria, CA is 115% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 $13.15

$4.56 ฿151

188.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.5 $59.5

$32.62 ฿1,082

82.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 $9.94

$8.90 ฿295

11.69%

Cappuccino

$5.81 $5.81

$2.80 ฿93.0

107.50%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$0.88 ฿29.19

210.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.49 ฿16.23

312.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$2.39 ฿79.2

241.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.00 $9.00

$3.71 ฿123

142.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.79 ฿59.3

-32.96%

White Bread (500g)

$5.76 $5.76

$1.44 ฿47.81

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.58 ฿52.6

181.01%

Eggs

$4.82 $4.82

$2.13 ฿70.5

126.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 $8.59

$19.92 ฿661

-56.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$3.43 ฿114

119.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 $13.42

$11.33 ฿376

18.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$2.95 ฿97.8

-54.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.72 ฿57.1

-16.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.32 ฿77.1

11.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.08 ฿69.0

60.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.47 ฿48.77

29.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.36 ฿45.05

-24.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.10 ฿36.45

80.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.57 ฿19.06

287.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.80 $11.80

$4.27 ฿142

176.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.92 $14.92

$18.42 ฿611

-19.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.87 ฿62.1

-4.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.92 ฿96.9

6.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.22 ฿73.6

-10.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.30 $49.30

$22.90 ฿759

115.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 $4.59

$3.03 ฿101

51.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.07 ฿35.63

76.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.51 $35.51

$3.93 ฿130

803.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.49 ฿49.49

-10.07%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

36.41%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

-7.21%

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

$160 $160

$103 ฿3,410

55.33%

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

$72.1 $72.1

$10.99 ฿365

555.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.1 $71.1

$17.51 ฿581

305.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.84 $29.84

$53.5 ฿1,776

-44.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 $11.95

$7.48 ฿248

59.76%

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

$1,929 $1,929

$557 ฿18.5K

246.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.9K $42.9K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

261.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.12 $47.12

$64.1 ฿2,125

-26.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 $39.82

$29.07 ฿964

36.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 $79.2

$96.0 ฿3,183

-17.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$90.3 ฿2,997

35.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,216 $2,216

$730 ฿24.2K

203.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 $1,758

$500 ฿16.6K

251.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,462 $3,462

$2,090 ฿69.3K

65.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,912 $2,912

$1,209 ฿40.1K

140.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,539 $8,539

$3,596 ฿119.3K

137.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,478 $8,478

$2,512 ฿83.3K

237.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,295 $4,295

$503 ฿16.7K

753.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

5.57

9.16%

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

Last update for Santa Maria, CA: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,216 in Santa Maria, CA and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Maria, CA pays 753% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Santa Maria, CA vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $273 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 Maria, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 136% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 753% higher in Santa Maria, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,216 in Santa Maria, CA versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,929 in Santa Maria, CA versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Santa Maria, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,954 in Santa Maria, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Maria, CA. 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 Maria, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Maria, CA 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 136% less than in Santa Maria, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.