Cost of Living Comparison Between Santarem and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Santarem and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,333 in Santarem versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,081 in Santarem versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,828 in Santarem versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Santarem is roughly 6% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santarem 3% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.81 €11.06

$4.56 ฿151

180.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.51 €34.95

$32.62 ฿1,082

24.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 €7.96

$8.90 ฿295

3.60%

Cappuccino

$1.82 €1.57

$2.80 ฿93.0

-35.00%

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

$1.77 €1.53

$0.88 ฿29.19

101.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.02

$0.49 ฿16.23

142.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.39 ฿79.2

-5.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.71 ฿123

-6.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.03

$1.79 ฿59.3

-33.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 €0.38

$1.44 ฿47.81

-69.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.58 ฿52.6

-25.32%

Eggs

$3.56 €3.07

$2.13 ฿70.5

67.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.55 €9.96

$19.92 ฿661

-42.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.24 €6.24

$3.43 ฿114

111.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 €12.15

$11.33 ฿376

24.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.44

$2.95 ฿97.8

-4.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.72 ฿57.1

-21.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$2.32 ฿77.1

9.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.92

$2.08 ฿69.0

6.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.47 ฿48.77

0.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.36 ฿45.05

18.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.10 ฿36.45

3.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 €0.28

$0.57 ฿19.06

-43.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.10 €5.26

$4.27 ฿142

42.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.97 €5.15

$18.42 ฿611

-67.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.87 ฿62.1

-31.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 €3.25

$2.92 ฿96.9

29.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.22 ฿73.6

5.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 €49.48

$22.90 ฿759

150.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 €3.21

$3.03 ฿101

22.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.63

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.49 ฿49.49

38.26%

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

$34.9K €30.1K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

28.48%

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

$40.3K €34.8K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

46.78%

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

$137 €118

$103 ฿3,410

32.80%

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

$21.21 €18.30

$10.99 ฿365

92.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 €49.41

$17.51 ฿581

227.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.84 €33.52

$53.5 ฿1,776

-27.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 €6.17

$7.48 ฿248

-4.41%

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

$444 €383

$557 ฿18.5K

-20.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K €16.6K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

62.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 €70.8

$64.1 ฿2,125

28.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.25 €33.87

$29.07 ฿964

35.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €94.1

$96.0 ฿3,183

13.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €121

$90.3 ฿2,997

55.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 €579

$730 ฿24.2K

-8.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$434 €375

$500 ฿16.6K

-13.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 €904

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-49.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 €706

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-32.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,259 €1,949

$3,596 ฿119.3K

-37.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,148 €991

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-54.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 €943

$503 ฿16.7K

117.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

5.57

-14.54%

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

Last update for Santarem: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $671 in Santarem and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santarem pays 117% 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: $41.00 in Santarem vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $273, with Santarem 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

Santarem vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 117% higher in Santarem, 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: $671 in Santarem versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $444 in Santarem versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santarem pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,333 in Santarem, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santarem. 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 Santarem, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santarem 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 6% less than in Santarem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.