Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago City and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago City and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $870 in Santiago City versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,357 in Santiago City versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,844 in Santiago City versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Santiago City costs roughly 31% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago City 37% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.39 ₱398

$4.66 ฿153

37.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.81 ₱2,483

$32.22 ฿1,059

23.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 ₱284

$8.68 ฿285

-47.47%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ₱165

$2.90 ฿95.3

-8.62%

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

$1.12 ₱70.0

$0.84 ฿27.75

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.37

$0.49 ฿16.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ₱146

$2.48 ฿81.6

-5.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ₱196

$3.73 ฿123

-15.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ₱114

$1.89 ฿62.0

-3.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ₱81.1

$1.41 ฿46.31

-7.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱66.3

$1.62 ฿53.3

-34.57%

Eggs

$1.43 ₱89.3

$2.24 ฿73.7

-36.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.27 ₱453

$19.84 ฿652

-63.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 ₱301

$3.48 ฿114

38.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.95 ₱433

$11.37 ฿374

-38.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 ₱145

$2.90 ฿95.3

-19.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 ₱123

$1.72 ฿56.7

15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 ₱205

$2.27 ฿74.7

44.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱143

$2.13 ฿70.1

7.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₱217

$1.47 ฿48.49

136.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₱224

$1.42 ฿46.69

152.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.0

$1.10 ฿36.08

-2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱32.83

$0.60 ฿19.66

-11.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 ₱162

$4.31 ฿142

-39.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 ₱498

$18.60 ฿612

-57.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 ₱85.9

$1.80 ฿59.2

-23.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₱129

$2.97 ฿97.5

-30.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₱16.91

$2.25 ฿73.8

-88.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.15 ₱695

$23.49 ฿772

-52.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₱41.45

$3.10 ฿102

-78.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.37

$1.08 ฿35.39

-78.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱122

$3.87 ฿127

-49.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₱77.6

$1.43 ฿46.93

-13.29%

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

$21.6K ₱1.3M

$27.8K ฿913.6K

-22.31%

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

$19.8K ₱1.2M

$27.0K ฿887.2K

-26.59%

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

$153 ₱9,540

$105 ฿3,446

45.98%

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

$16.42 ₱1,024

$11.39 ฿375

44.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.65 ₱1,973

$17.54 ฿577

80.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.63 ₱2,035

$54.3 ฿1,787

-39.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.83 ₱301

$11.44 ฿376

-57.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 ₱441

$7.78 ฿256

-9.13%

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

$135 ₱8,394

$576 ฿19.0K

-76.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,574 ₱472.3K

$11.6K ฿380.8K

-34.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.56 ₱2,030

$63.6 ฿2,092

-48.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.82 ₱1,236

$29.10 ฿957

-31.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 ₱5,044

$96.2 ฿3,164

-15.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.4 ₱3,516

$90.0 ฿2,960

-37.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ₱16.6K

$733 ฿24.1K

-63.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 ₱10.9K

$501 ฿16.5K

-64.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 ₱31.5K

$2,126 ฿69.9K

-76.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ₱22.1K

$1,252 ฿41.2K

-71.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,628 ₱163.9K

$3,534 ฿116.2K

-25.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,058 ₱66.0K

$2,622 ฿86.2K

-59.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

5.57

34.65%

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

Last update for Santiago City: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $266 in Santiago City and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Santiago City vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $212 vs $275, with Santiago City 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

Santiago City vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,304 in Santiago City and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $266 in Santiago City versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $135 in Santiago City versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $870 in Santiago City versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santiago City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santiago City 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, Santiago City 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 Santiago City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.