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: $1,428 in Santiago versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,100 in Santiago versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,772 in Santiago versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Santiago is roughly 16% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago is 4% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 PAB 4.43

$4.41 ฿147

0.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.77 PAB 29.77

$32.26 ฿1,074

-7.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 PAB 5.11

$8.93 ฿297

-42.78%

Cappuccino

$4.07 PAB 4.07

$2.90 ฿96.4

40.34%

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

$0.73 PAB 0.73

$0.88 ฿29.30

-17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 PAB 0.77

$0.48 ฿16.01

60.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 PAB 0.98

$2.35 ฿78.3

-58.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 PAB 1.98

$3.72 ฿124

-46.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.87 ฿62.1

-0.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 PAB 2.29

$1.47 ฿48.81

55.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 PAB 3.15

$1.55 ฿51.7

103.23%

Eggs

$2.78 PAB 2.78

$2.10 ฿70.0

32.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.65 PAB 12.65

$19.59 ฿652

-35.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 PAB 6.27

$3.42 ฿114

83.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.50 PAB 10.50

$11.38 ฿379

-7.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 PAB 4.34

$2.98 ฿99.3

45.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 PAB 1.73

$1.68 ฿56.1

2.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

$2.21 ฿73.5

80.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 PAB 3.93

$2.16 ฿72.0

81.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 PAB 3.13

$1.52 ฿50.8

105.92%

Onion (1kg)

$4.30 PAB 4.30

$1.34 ฿44.55

220.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 PAB 2.16

$1.13 ฿37.57

91.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.55 ฿18.19

207.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.93 PAB 5.93

$4.26 ฿142

39.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 PAB 11.14

$19.09 ฿635

-41.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.78 ฿59.2

-20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 PAB 2.70

$2.78 ฿92.6

-2.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 PAB 2.54

$3.03 ฿101

-16.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.02 ฿34.06

79.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.71 PAB 21.71

$3.89 ฿130

458.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 PAB 1.16

$1.49 ฿49.63

-22.15%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

-20.00%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

-22.25%

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

$120 PAB 120

$102 ฿3,411

16.82%

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

$15.24 PAB 15.24

$11.33 ฿377

34.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.28 PAB 43.28

$17.40 ฿579

148.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.98 PAB 7.98

$7.69 ฿256

3.77%

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

$544 PAB 544

$561 ฿18.7K

-3.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,960 PAB 9,960

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-13.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 PAB 59.7

$63.0 ฿2,098

-5.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.77 PAB 45.77

$29.52 ฿983

55.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 PAB 94.3

$98.0 ฿3,263

-3.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 PAB 116

$88.5 ฿2,946

31.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 PAB 458

$738 ฿24.6K

-37.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 PAB 662

$482 ฿16.1K

37.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 PAB 645

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-69.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 PAB 1,116

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-8.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

5.57

14.72%

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

Last update for Santiago: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $458 in Santiago and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Santiago vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $315 vs $274, 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 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,142 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: $458 in Santiago versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $544 in Santiago versus $561 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 $32.00 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 $1,428 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 16% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.