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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,718 in Santa Pola versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,494 in Santa Pola versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,271 in Santa Pola versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Pola is roughly 39% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Pola is 26% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.47 €15.23

$4.41 ฿147

296.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 €51.7

$32.26 ฿1,077

83.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.22

$8.93 ฿298

31.24%

Cappuccino

$2.33 €2.03

$2.90 ฿96.6

-19.66%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.88 ฿29.38

182.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.68

$0.48 ฿16.06

302.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.35 ฿78.5

46.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 €3.31

$3.72 ฿124

1.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.87 ฿62.3

-36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 €1.26

$1.47 ฿48.94

-1.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.44

$1.55 ฿51.8

6.45%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.91

$2.10 ฿70.1

59.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.04 €12.24

$19.59 ฿654

-28.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 €7.28

$3.42 ฿114

144.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.64 €14.50

$11.38 ฿380

46.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 €2.34

$2.98 ฿99.6

-10.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 €1.45

$1.68 ฿56.2

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 €1.84

$2.21 ฿73.7

-4.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.25

$2.16 ฿72.1

19.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 €1.68

$1.52 ฿50.9

26.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.90

$1.34 ฿44.67

62.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.13 ฿37.67

24.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.67

$0.55 ฿18.24

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.43 €5.61

$4.26 ฿142

50.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$19.09 ฿637

-69.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.78 ฿59.4

-28.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.91

$2.78 ฿92.9

-21.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.23 ฿74.4

-23.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.21 €29.82

$22.74 ฿759

50.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 €3.53

$3.03 ฿101

33.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.02 ฿34.15

37.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.59 €21.44

$3.89 ฿130

532.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.49 ฿49.77

20.81%

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

$36.5K €31.8K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

37.33%

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

$30.7K €26.7K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

13.50%

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

$158 €137

$102 ฿3,420

53.81%

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

$18.51 €16.13

$11.33 ฿378

63.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 €27.35

$17.40 ฿581

80.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.52 €39.68

$52.1 ฿1,738

-12.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.62 €14.48

$11.07 ฿370

50.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.96 €8.68

$7.69 ฿257

29.52%

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

$490 €427

$561 ฿18.7K

-12.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,718 €7,599

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-24.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €75.8

$63.0 ฿2,104

38.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 €33.17

$29.52 ฿986

28.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 €82.4

$98.0 ฿3,272

-3.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.1

$88.5 ฿2,954

27.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 €795

$738 ฿24.6K

23.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 €605

$482 ฿16.1K

43.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 €1,209

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-34.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 €917

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-14.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,009

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-4.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,320 €2,022

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-10.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

5.57

-40.75%

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

Last update for Santa Pola: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $913 in Santa Pola and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59.0 in Santa Pola vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $274, with Santa Pola cheaper for home cooking.

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 Pola vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,577 in Santa Pola 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $913 in Santa Pola versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Santa Pola versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santa Pola pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,718 in Santa Pola, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Pola. 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 Pola, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Pola 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 39% less than in Santa Pola. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.