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: $1,447 in Santiago de Compostela versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,174 in Santiago de Compostela versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,900 in Santiago de Compostela versus $3,329 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago de Compostela is 8% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.87 €11.94

$4.70 ฿154

195.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 €47.16

$45.37 ฿1,483

20.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 €8.31

$8.43 ฿276

14.47%

Cappuccino

$1.94 €1.67

$2.93 ฿95.7

-33.79%

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

$2.36 €2.03

$0.69 ฿22.42

242.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.74

$0.37 ฿12.00

445.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 €2.61

$2.41 ฿78.7

25.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 €3.15

$3.72 ฿122

-1.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €0.99

$2.23 ฿73.0

-48.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.83 ฿59.9

-33.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 €1.39

$2.17 ฿70.9

-25.81%

Eggs

$2.97 €2.56

$2.21 ฿72.4

34.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 €8.00

$19.74 ฿645

-52.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 €5.43

$3.63 ฿119

73.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.02 €14.65

$13.53 ฿442

25.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$3.28 ฿107

-44.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.61 ฿52.7

37.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 €1.32

$2.41 ฿78.7

-36.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$2.08 ฿68.1

36.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.53 ฿49.97

39.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.48 ฿48.41

2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 €1.01

$0.99 ฿32.32

19.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.59

$0.51 ฿16.68

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 €5.31

$4.41 ฿144

39.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.39 €4.64

$19.38 ฿634

-72.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.78 ฿58.1

-16.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.07

$2.71 ฿88.7

-11.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.37 ฿44.83

-8.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.88 €30.04

$11.39 ฿372

206.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.95

$3.02 ฿98.7

51.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 €1.09

$0.99 ฿32.51

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.95 €19.76

$14.10 ฿461

62.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.36 ฿44.55

33.82%

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

$28.4K €24.5K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

0.71%

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

$31.2K €26.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-5.05%

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

$162 €140

$122 ฿3,978

33.44%

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

$21.15 €18.21

$13.57 ฿444

55.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.39 €28.75

$18.31 ฿599

82.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.32 €35.58

$60.2 ฿1,969

-31.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.32 €2.00

$17.14 ฿560

-86.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 €8.61

$8.69 ฿284

15.07%

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

$349 €301

$693 ฿22.7K

-49.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,176 €7,040

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-47.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.4 €66.6

$59.5 ฿1,946

29.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 €27.66

$34.77 ฿1,137

-7.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 €74.3

$115 ฿3,746

-24.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 €84.2

$83.3 ฿2,723

17.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 €629

$613 ฿20.0K

19.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 €453

$437 ฿14.3K

20.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 €889

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-50.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €759

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-41.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,181 €2,739

$3,749 ฿122.6K

-15.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,224 €1,915

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-14.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,974 €1,700

$508 ฿16.6K

288.45%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Santiago de Compostela and $613 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: $55.0 in Santiago de Compostela vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $293, 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, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Santiago de Compostela pays 288% 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: $730 in Santiago de Compostela versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $349 in Santiago de Compostela versus $693 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 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,447 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.