Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago de Compostela and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago de Compostela and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,422 in Santiago de Compostela versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,169 in Santiago de Compostela versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,916 in Santiago de Compostela versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Santiago de Compostela is roughly 14% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago de Compostela is 6% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.69 €11.96

$4.55 ฿153

200.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 €48.87

$46.18 ฿1,550

21.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 €8.71

$8.84 ฿297

12.67%

Cappuccino

$1.88 €1.64

$3.06 ฿103

-38.56%

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

$2.39 €2.09

$0.73 ฿24.36

227.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.40 ฿13.37

407.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 €2.72

$2.43 ฿81.6

27.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 €3.38

$3.78 ฿127

2.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.01

$2.26 ฿75.8

-48.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.81 ฿60.8

-33.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 €1.47

$2.25 ฿75.7

-25.33%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.61

$2.25 ฿75.4

32.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 €8.16

$19.51 ฿655

-52.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.47 €5.65

$3.65 ฿122

77.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.58 €15.36

$13.05 ฿438

34.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 €1.64

$3.23 ฿109

-41.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.95

$1.62 ฿54.3

37.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.38 ฿80.0

-35.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 €2.54

$2.03 ฿68.0

43.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.83

$1.53 ฿51.5

36.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.30

$1.50 ฿50.4

-1.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 €1.03

$0.98 ฿32.85

20.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$0.52 ฿17.36

34.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 €5.31

$4.44 ฿149

36.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.17 €4.52

$18.32 ฿615

-71.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.26

$1.86 ฿62.6

-22.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.19

$2.68 ฿90.0

-6.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 €1.09

$1.41 ฿47.37

-11.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.13 €29.82

$11.70 ฿393

191.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.13

$3.11 ฿104

52.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.04 ฿35.00

18.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.83 €19.94

$14.11 ฿474

61.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.31 ฿44.02

38.17%

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

$28.9K €25.3K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

3.90%

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

$31.2K €27.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-6.00%

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

$163 €143

$122 ฿4,110

33.46%

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

$21.56 €18.84

$13.59 ฿456

58.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.84 €28.69

$18.70 ฿628

75.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.87 €36.58

$60.5 ฿2,031

-30.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.25 €1.96

$16.98 ฿570

-86.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.97 €8.71

$9.07 ฿305

9.92%

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

$342 €299

$706 ฿23.7K

-51.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,017 €7,004

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-49.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 €66.7

$58.6 ฿1,965

30.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.64 €27.64

$35.36 ฿1,187

-10.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 €74.3

$115 ฿3,876

-26.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 €82.9

$83.7 ฿2,811

13.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 €658

$626 ฿21.0K

20.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 €460

$445 ฿14.9K

18.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 €883

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-50.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 €745

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-42.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,050 €2,665

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-12.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,197 €1,920

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-14.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,941 €1,696

$500 ฿16.8K

288.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

5.33

-37.52%

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

Last update for Santiago de Compostela: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Santiago de Compostela and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago de Compostela pays 288% 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: $56.0 in Santiago de Compostela vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $289, with Santiago de Compostela 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 de Compostela vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 288% higher in Santiago de Compostela, 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: $753 in Santiago de Compostela versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $342 in Santiago de Compostela versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santiago de Compostela pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,422 in Santiago de Compostela, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santiago de Compostela. 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 Santiago de Compostela, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santiago de Compostela 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 14% less than in Santiago de Compostela. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.