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: $1,386 in Santa Tecla versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,013 in Santa Tecla versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,639 in Santa Tecla versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Tecla is roughly 11% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Tecla is 1% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.16 $7.16

$4.56 ฿150

57.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.78 $43.78

$32.62 ฿1,073

34.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.90 ฿293

-22.81%

Cappuccino

$3.51 $3.51

$2.80 ฿92.2

25.36%

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

$1.15 $1.15

$0.88 ฿28.94

30.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.49 ฿16.08

77.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.39 ฿78.5

-17.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.71 ฿122

-2.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.79 ฿58.8

-6.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.44 ฿47.40

56.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.58 ฿52.1

-13.29%

Eggs

$2.27 $2.27

$2.13 ฿69.9

6.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$19.92 ฿655

-61.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$3.43 ฿113

56.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 $10.22

$11.33 ฿372

-9.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.95 ฿97.0

7.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.72 ฿56.6

-10.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.32 ฿76.5

24.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.08 ฿68.4

39.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.47 ฿48.34

65.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.36 ฿44.65

78.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.10 ฿36.13

-5.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.57 ฿18.89

70.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 $3.99

$4.27 ฿140

-6.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

$18.42 ฿606

-34.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.87 ฿61.5

16.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.92 ฿96.1

-1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.09 $6.09

$3.03 ฿99.6

100.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.07 ฿35.32

174.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.79 $19.79

$3.93 ฿129

403.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.49 ฿49.06

-18.12%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

-7.07%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

-0.29%

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

$130 $130

$103 ฿3,380

26.25%

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

$21.56 $21.56

$10.99 ฿361

96.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.03 $43.03

$17.51 ฿576

145.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.54 $24.54

$53.5 ฿1,760

-54.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 $5.10

$7.48 ฿246

-31.82%

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

$164 $164

$557 ฿18.3K

-70.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,762 $4,762

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-59.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 $66.4

$64.1 ฿2,107

3.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.83 $46.83

$29.07 ฿956

61.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$96.0 ฿3,155

25.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$90.3 ฿2,970

30.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 $763

$730 ฿24.0K

4.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$586 $586

$500 ฿16.4K

17.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 $1,224

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-41.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 $903

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-25.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$414 $414

$503 ฿16.6K

-17.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

5.57

52.60%

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

Last update for Santa Tecla: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Santa Tecla and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Santa Tecla vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $273, with Santa Tecla cheaper for home cooking.

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 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 22% 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: $763 in Santa Tecla versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Santa Tecla versus $557 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 $33.00 versus $44.00 in Santa Tecla. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,386 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 11% less than in Santa Tecla. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.