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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,755 in Santa Rita versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,137 in Santa Rita versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,519 in Santa Rita versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Rita is roughly 38% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Rita is 31% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 $19.96

$4.66 ฿150

328.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 $77.7

$46.44 ฿1,496

67.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 $5.96

$8.68 ฿280

-31.34%

Cappuccino

$5.07 $5.07

$2.95 ฿95.0

71.86%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$0.70 ฿22.52

247.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.39 ฿12.70

556.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 $7.78

$2.53 ฿81.6

207.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.13 $10.13

$3.78 ฿122

167.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.22 ฿71.5

70.27%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 $4.18

$1.80 ฿57.8

132.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.19 ฿70.4

22.37%

Eggs

$3.86 $3.86

$2.31 ฿74.5

67.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.78 $19.78

$19.34 ฿623

2.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.77 ฿121

69.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$13.22 ฿426

-26.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.33 ฿107

47.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.65 ฿53.1

61.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.99 ฿64.1

117.09%

Potato (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$1.53 ฿49.24

168.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.51 ฿48.77

92.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.03 ฿33.12

91.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.80 ฿58.0

58.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.68 ฿86.4

-35.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.12 $32.12

$13.68 ฿441

134.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.30 ฿41.85

20.77%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

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

$251 $251

$123 ฿3,962

104.46%

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

$89.2 $89.2

$13.82 ฿445

545.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.4 $80.4

$18.86 ฿608

326.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.4 $98.4

$61.2 ฿1,970

60.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

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

$696 ฿22.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 $891

$615 ฿19.8K

44.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 $594

$448 ฿14.4K

32.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,038 $2,038

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-2.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,958 $1,958

$1,496 ฿48.2K

30.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$299 $299

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-88.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,431 $5,431

$534 ฿17.2K

917.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Santa Rita: April 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $891 in Santa Rita and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Rita pays 918% 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: $78 in Santa Rita vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $291 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 Rita vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Santa Rita pays 918% more on average, 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: $891 in Santa Rita versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Santa Rita. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $78.0 in Santa Rita. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,755 in Santa Rita, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Rita. 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 Rita, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Rita 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 38% less than in Santa Rita. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.