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: $1,575 in Santarem versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,069 in Santarem versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,563 in Santarem versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Santarem is roughly 24% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santarem is 18% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.91 €11.97

$4.70 ฿153

195.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.99 €34.40

$45.37 ฿1,482

-11.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.66 €7.45

$8.43 ฿275

2.73%

Cappuccino

$1.65 €1.42

$2.93 ฿95.6

-43.69%

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

$1.31 €1.12

$0.69 ฿22.40

89.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.37 ฿11.99

272.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.41 ฿78.6

-2.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €2.93

$3.72 ฿122

-8.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.23 ฿72.9

-51.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 €0.41

$1.83 ฿59.8

-74.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 €1.01

$2.17 ฿70.8

-46.08%

Eggs

$3.06 €2.63

$2.21 ฿72.3

38.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 €9.50

$19.74 ฿645

-44.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 €6.47

$3.63 ฿119

107.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 €11.88

$13.53 ฿442

2.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$3.28 ฿107

-20.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.61 ฿52.6

-14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.41 ฿78.6

-7.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.08 ฿68.1

12.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.53 ฿49.93

-3.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.48 ฿48.36

12.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.99 ฿32.29

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 €0.25

$0.51 ฿16.67

-41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.79 €4.98

$4.41 ฿144

31.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.00 €5.16

$19.38 ฿633

-69.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.78 ฿58.1

-28.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 €3.30

$2.71 ฿88.6

41.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.94

$1.37 ฿44.79

64.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.55 €36.60

$11.39 ฿372

273.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 €3.15

$3.02 ฿98.6

21.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.19

$0.99 ฿32.48

40.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.62 €15.15

$14.10 ฿461

24.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.36 ฿44.51

46.32%

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

$34.8K €30.0K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

23.48%

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

$39.8K €34.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

20.84%

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

$84.5 €72.7

$122 ฿3,975

-30.61%

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

$21.79 €18.75

$13.57 ฿443

60.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.45 €42.54

$18.31 ฿598

170.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.87 €33.44

$60.2 ฿1,967

-35.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$6.88 €5.92

$8.69 ฿284

-20.83%

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

$442 €381

$693 ฿22.6K

-36.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,434 €7,255

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-46.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 €73.2

$59.5 ฿1,944

42.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.38 €33.87

$34.77 ฿1,136

13.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 €85.4

$115 ฿3,743

-13.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 €79.2

$83.3 ฿2,720

10.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 €783

$613 ฿20.0K

48.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 €626

$437 ฿14.3K

66.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 €1,253

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-30.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 €593

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-54.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,267 €1,950

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-39.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,183 €1,018

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-54.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,089 €937

$508 ฿16.6K

114.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

5.33

-0.19%

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

Last update for Santarem: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $910 in Santarem and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santarem pays 114% 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: $40.00 in Santarem vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $293 per month, with Santarem 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

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 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Santarem pays 114% more on average, 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: $910 in Santarem versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $442 in Santarem versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santarem pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,575 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 24% less than in Santarem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.