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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,375 in Santa Tecla versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Santa Tecla versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,548 in Santa Tecla versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Tecla is roughly 9% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Tecla is 3% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.81 $7.81

$4.70 ฿153

66.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.13 $35.13

$45.37 ฿1,482

-22.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 $7.09

$8.43 ฿275

-15.90%

Cappuccino

$3.31 $3.31

$2.93 ฿95.6

12.97%

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

$1.09 $1.09

$0.69 ฿22.40

57.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 $0.90

$0.37 ฿11.99

143.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.41 ฿78.6

-15.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.72 ฿122

-21.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.23 ฿72.9

-21.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.83 ฿59.8

12.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$2.17 ฿70.8

-28.57%

Eggs

$2.38 $2.38

$2.21 ฿72.3

7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.94 $6.94

$19.74 ฿645

-64.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$3.63 ฿119

54.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 $10.80

$13.53 ฿442

-20.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.28 ฿107

-5.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.61 ฿52.6

3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.41 ฿78.6

8.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.08 ฿68.1

25.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.53 ฿49.93

47.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.48 ฿48.36

43.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.99 ฿32.29

1.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.51 ฿16.67

109.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.41 ฿144

-7.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 $11.21

$19.38 ฿633

-42.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.78 ฿58.1

-3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.71 ฿88.6

-6.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.44 $5.44

$3.02 ฿98.6

80.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 $3.00

$0.99 ฿32.48

203.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.18 $20.18

$14.10 ฿461

43.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.36 ฿44.51

-27.94%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-8.18%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-13.35%

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

$103 $103

$122 ฿3,975

-15.61%

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

$19.19 $19.19

$13.57 ฿443

41.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.32 $42.32

$18.31 ฿598

131.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.70 $24.70

$60.2 ฿1,967

-58.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$5.11 $5.11

$8.69 ฿284

-41.20%

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

$147 $147

$693 ฿22.6K

-78.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,045 $6,045

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-61.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$59.5 ฿1,944

12.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.92 $43.92

$34.77 ฿1,136

26.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$115 ฿3,743

-0.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$83.3 ฿2,720

27.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 $786

$613 ฿20.0K

28.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$606 $606

$437 ฿14.3K

38.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 $1,210

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-42.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$913 $913

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-39.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$413 $413

$508 ฿16.6K

-18.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.58

5.33

60.98%

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

Last update for Santa Tecla: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Santa Tecla and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Santa Tecla vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $293 per month, with Santa Tecla 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 Tecla vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 23% less. 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: $786 in Santa Tecla versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $147 in Santa Tecla versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $35.00 in Santa Tecla. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,375 in Santa Tecla, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Tecla. 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 Tecla, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Tecla 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 9% less than in Santa Tecla. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.