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: $3,443 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,958 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,474 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Rosa, CA is roughly 172% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Rosa, CA is 150% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.93 $27.93

$4.66 ฿154

499.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.9 $88.9

$32.22 ฿1,065

175.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.85 $11.85

$8.68 ฿287

36.52%

Cappuccino

$6.57 $6.57

$2.90 ฿95.8

126.55%

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

$3.45 $3.45

$0.84 ฿27.89

310.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$0.49 ฿16.16

569.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 $8.23

$2.48 ฿82.0

231.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.58 $8.58

$3.73 ฿123

130.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.89 ฿62.3

-21.16%

White Bread (500g)

$4.43 $4.43

$1.41 ฿46.54

214.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.62 ฿53.6

180.86%

Eggs

$5.45 $5.45

$2.24 ฿74.1

143.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.01 $21.01

$19.84 ฿656

5.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.42 $14.42

$3.48 ฿115

314.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.54 $20.54

$11.37 ฿376

80.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.90 ฿95.8

76.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.72 ฿57.0

59.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 $8.17

$2.27 ฿75.1

259.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$2.13 ฿70.4

216.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$1.47 ฿48.72

159.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.42 ฿46.92

149.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.10 ฿36.25

180.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.60 ฿19.76

201.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 $11.94

$4.31 ฿142

177.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 $11.89

$18.60 ฿615

-36.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.80 ฿59.5

2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.97 ฿98.0

-21.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.25 ฿74.2

-4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.70 $40.70

$23.49 ฿776

73.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.10 ฿102

26.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.08 ฿35.56

76.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.49 $28.49

$3.87 ฿128

636.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.43 ฿47.16

-2.80%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

34.13%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

2.90%

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

$189 $189

$105 ฿3,462

79.99%

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

$51.6 $51.6

$11.39 ฿376

352.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 $70.4

$17.54 ฿580

301.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.8 $69.8

$54.3 ฿1,795

28.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.21 $14.21

$11.44 ฿378

24.21%

Cinema Ticket

$14.11 $14.11

$7.78 ฿257

81.36%

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

$1,268 $1,268

$576 ฿19.0K

119.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.4K $39.4K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

240.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.06 $48.06

$63.6 ฿2,103

-24.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.74 $40.74

$29.10 ฿961

40.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$96.2 ฿3,179

11.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$90.0 ฿2,974

41.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,299 $2,299

$733 ฿24.2K

213.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 $1,904

$501 ฿16.5K

280.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,668 $3,668

$2,126 ฿70.2K

72.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 $3,107

$1,252 ฿41.4K

148.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,701 $4,701

$3,534 ฿116.8K

33.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,662 $4,662

$2,622 ฿86.6K

77.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,753 $4,753

$508 ฿16.8K

836.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.12

5.57

9.87%

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

Last update for Santa Rosa, CA: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,299 in Santa Rosa, CA and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Rosa, CA pays 837% 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: $89.0 in Santa Rosa, CA vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $495 vs $275 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 172% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 837% higher in Santa Rosa, 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: $2,299 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,268 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Santa Rosa, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,443 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 172% less than in Santa Rosa, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.