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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,337 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,922 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,507 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Rosa, CA is roughly 171% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Rosa, CA is 149% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.60 $22.60

$4.63 ฿151

388.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$46.84 ฿1,523

72.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 $11.86

$8.84 ฿287

34.16%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$3.00 ฿97.4

65.33%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$0.74 ฿24.11

291.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.37 ฿11.88

662.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.59 $7.59

$2.44 ฿79.3

211.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.37 $8.37

$3.61 ฿117

131.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.26 ฿73.5

-47.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$1.84 ฿59.8

166.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.24 ฿73.0

94.64%

Eggs

$5.20 $5.20

$2.32 ฿75.3

124.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.53 $16.53

$19.67 ฿639

-15.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.39 $11.39

$3.65 ฿119

212.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.99 $19.99

$13.10 ฿426

52.60%

Apples (1kg)

$8.02 $8.02

$3.39 ฿110

136.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.64 ฿53.4

76.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.14 $8.14

$2.41 ฿78.5

237.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.37 $8.37

$2.03 ฿66.0

312.32%

Potato (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$1.56 ฿50.6

158.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$1.50 ฿48.66

158.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.02 ฿33.30

196.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$0.49 ฿15.91

332.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$4.45 ฿145

173.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 $11.83

$18.88 ฿614

-37.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.78 ฿57.7

1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.75 ฿89.5

-4.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.40 ฿45.54

92.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.77 $29.77

$11.48 ฿373

159.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.12 ฿101

30.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.00 ฿32.48

89.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.13 $29.13

$14.09 ฿458

106.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.35 ฿43.93

-2.22%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

26.97%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-16.01%

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

$242 $242

$125 ฿4,063

93.71%

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

$49.70 $49.70

$13.57 ฿441

266.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.1 $73.1

$18.52 ฿602

294.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.5 $65.5

$61.5 ฿1,999

6.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.06 $15.06

$16.84 ฿547

-10.57%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 $14.08

$9.19 ฿299

53.21%

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

$1,898 $1,898

$698 ฿22.7K

171.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.6K $39.6K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

153.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 $57.4

$57.8 ฿1,878

-0.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.98 $43.98

$35.24 ฿1,146

24.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$113 ฿3,677

-4.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$86.4 ฿2,808

51.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,245 $2,245

$616 ฿20.0K

264.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 $1,899

$446 ฿14.5K

325.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,753 $3,753

$2,048 ฿66.6K

83.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,249 $3,249

$1,492 ฿48.5K

117.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,683 $4,683

$3,779 ฿122.8K

23.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,681 $4,681

$2,649 ฿86.1K

76.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,624 $4,624

$524 ฿17.0K

782.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

5.33

22.33%

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

Last update for Santa Rosa, CA: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,245 in Santa Rosa, CA and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Rosa, CA pays 783% 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: $81.0 in Santa Rosa, CA vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $493 vs $292 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 Rosa, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 171% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Santa Rosa, CA pays 783% 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: $2,245 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,898 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Santa Rosa, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,337 in Santa Rosa, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Rosa, 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 Rosa, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Rosa, 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 171% less than in Santa Rosa, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.