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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,410 in Santiago versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,070 in Santiago versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,730 in Santiago versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Santiago is roughly 14% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago is 5% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.52 PAB 4.52

$4.63 ฿151

-2.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.80 PAB 29.80

$46.84 ฿1,523

-36.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 PAB 5.09

$8.84 ฿287

-42.42%

Cappuccino

$3.52 PAB 3.52

$3.00 ฿97.4

17.33%

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

$0.72 PAB 0.72

$0.74 ฿24.11

-2.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 PAB 0.78

$0.37 ฿11.88

110.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 PAB 1.02

$2.44 ฿79.3

-58.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$3.61 ฿117

-45.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 PAB 1.80

$2.26 ฿73.5

-20.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 PAB 2.50

$1.84 ฿59.8

35.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 PAB 2.50

$2.24 ฿73.0

11.61%

Eggs

$2.92 PAB 2.92

$2.32 ฿75.3

25.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.66 PAB 11.66

$19.67 ฿639

-40.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.24 PAB 7.24

$3.65 ฿119

98.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.06 PAB 10.06

$13.10 ฿426

-23.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$3.39 ฿110

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.64 ฿53.4

-4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 PAB 2.86

$2.41 ฿78.5

18.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 PAB 3.14

$2.03 ฿66.0

54.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 PAB 2.27

$1.56 ฿50.6

45.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 PAB 2.92

$1.50 ฿48.66

94.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 PAB 2.22

$1.02 ฿33.30

117.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.49 ฿15.91

218.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 PAB 5.85

$4.45 ฿145

31.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 PAB 10.81

$18.88 ฿614

-42.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 PAB 1.30

$1.78 ฿57.7

-26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 PAB 2.36

$2.75 ฿89.5

-14.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$3.12 ฿101

-17.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$1.00 ฿32.48

84.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.34 PAB 22.34

$14.09 ฿458

58.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 PAB 0.94

$1.35 ฿43.93

-30.37%

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

$20.0K PAB 20.0K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-26.61%

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

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-36.49%

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

$118 PAB 118

$125 ฿4,063

-5.52%

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

$14.87 PAB 14.87

$13.57 ฿441

9.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.82 PAB 43.82

$18.52 ฿602

136.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$7.95 PAB 7.95

$9.19 ฿299

-13.49%

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

$484 PAB 484

$698 ฿22.7K

-30.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K PAB 15.9K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

2.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 PAB 51.0

$57.8 ฿1,878

-11.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.45 PAB 46.45

$35.24 ฿1,146

31.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 PAB 89.6

$113 ฿3,677

-20.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 PAB 119

$86.4 ฿2,808

38.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 PAB 445

$616 ฿20.0K

-27.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 PAB 640

$446 ฿14.5K

43.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 PAB 646

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-68.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 PAB 1,119

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-25.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.23

5.33

16.89%

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

Last update for Santiago: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $445 in Santiago and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Santiago vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $292, with Phuket 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 vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,114 in Santiago and $1,847 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: $445 in Santiago versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $484 in Santiago versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $30.00 in Santiago. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,410 in Santiago, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santiago. 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, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santiago 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. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.