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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $749 in Santa Rosa versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,146 in Santa Rosa versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,543 in Santa Rosa versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Rosa costs roughly 40% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Rosa 44% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 ₱170

$4.55 ฿153

-39.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.63 ₱1,332

$46.18 ฿1,554

-53.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.03 ₱187

$8.84 ฿298

-65.72%

Cappuccino

$1.26 ₱77.8

$3.06 ฿103

-58.82%

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

$0.40 ₱24.89

$0.73 ฿24.42

-45.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₱17.39

$0.40 ฿13.40

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 ₱78.2

$2.43 ฿81.8

-47.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 ₱86.6

$3.78 ฿127

-62.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 ₱129

$2.26 ฿76.0

-7.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 ₱74.5

$1.81 ฿60.9

-33.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 ₱69.0

$2.25 ฿75.8

-50.22%

Eggs

$1.80 ₱111

$2.25 ฿75.6

-20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.93 ₱427

$19.51 ฿656

-64.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.20 ₱258

$3.65 ฿123

15.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.16 ₱441

$13.05 ฿439

-45.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 ₱275

$3.23 ฿109

38.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 ₱56.7

$1.62 ฿54.4

-43.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 ₱180

$2.38 ฿80.2

22.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₱101

$2.03 ฿68.2

-19.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 ₱176

$1.53 ฿51.6

86.93%

Onion (1kg)

$4.08 ₱251

$1.50 ฿50.5

172.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₱97.8

$0.98 ฿32.93

62.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₱62.4

$0.52 ฿17.40

94.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 ₱197

$4.44 ฿149

-27.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 ₱554

$18.32 ฿616

-50.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱95.1

$1.86 ฿62.7

-17.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱122

$2.68 ฿90.2

-25.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.00

$1.41 ฿47.49

-81.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.24

$3.11 ฿105

-74.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱14.82

$1.04 ฿35.08

-76.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ₱130

$14.11 ฿475

-85.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₱67.1

$1.31 ฿44.13

-16.79%

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

$25.8K ₱1.6M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-7.12%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-38.03%

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

$52.5 ₱3,230

$122 ฿4,120

-57.15%

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

$33.43 ₱2,058

$13.59 ฿457

145.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.79 ₱1,772

$18.70 ฿629

53.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.44 ₱2,059

$60.5 ฿2,035

-44.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.45 ₱274

$16.98 ฿572

-73.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.17 ₱442

$9.07 ฿305

-20.95%

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

$81.2 ₱4,999

$706 ฿23.8K

-88.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,799 ₱172.3K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-82.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.18 ₱1,981

$58.6 ฿1,970

-45.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.83 ₱1,836

$35.36 ฿1,190

-15.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.6 ₱6,068

$115 ฿3,885

-14.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 ₱5,728

$83.7 ฿2,818

11.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 ₱15.5K

$626 ฿21.1K

-59.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱10.7K

$445 ฿15.0K

-60.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₱24.4K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-80.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 ₱17.3K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-81.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,551 ₱157.0K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-26.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$969 ₱59.6K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-62.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$148 ₱9,096

$500 ฿16.8K

-70.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.13

5.33

52.53%

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

Last update for Santa Rosa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $252 in Santa Rosa and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 238% 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: $22.00 in Santa Rosa vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $289 per month, with Santa Rosa 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 vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Rosa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 238% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $252 in Santa Rosa versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $81.2 in Santa Rosa versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Rosa – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $749 in Santa Rosa versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Rosa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Rosa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santa Rosa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.