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: $1,198 in Santiago versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,914 in Santiago versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,631 in Santiago versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Santiago costs roughly 3% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago 12% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.44 CLP 10.0K

$4.41 ฿147

136.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 CLP 50.9K

$32.26 ฿1,073

64.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 CLP 8,424

$8.93 ฿297

-1.79%

Cappuccino

$3.35 CLP 3,218

$2.90 ฿96.3

15.52%

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

$1.71 CLP 1,639

$0.88 ฿29.27

94.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 CLP 1,252

$0.48 ฿16.00

170.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.17 CLP 4,004

$2.35 ฿78.2

77.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CLP 4,592

$3.72 ฿124

28.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 CLP 1,229

$1.87 ฿62.0

-31.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 CLP 1,694

$1.47 ฿48.75

19.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 CLP 1,586

$1.55 ฿51.6

6.45%

Eggs

$4.18 CLP 4,020

$2.10 ฿69.9

99.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 CLP 10.9K

$19.59 ฿651

-42.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,481

$3.42 ฿114

97.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 CLP 10.5K

$11.38 ฿378

-4.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 CLP 1,921

$2.98 ฿99.2

-32.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CLP 1,478

$1.68 ฿56.0

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 CLP 1,585

$2.21 ฿73.5

-25.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 CLP 1,730

$2.16 ฿71.9

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 CLP 1,057

$1.52 ฿50.7

-27.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 CLP 1,431

$1.34 ฿44.49

11.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 CLP 1,190

$1.13 ฿37.53

9.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 CLP 1,088

$0.55 ฿18.17

105.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 CLP 5,087

$4.26 ฿142

24.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 CLP 5,977

$19.09 ฿635

-67.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CLP 1,555

$1.78 ฿59.2

-8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 CLP 2,385

$2.78 ฿92.5

-10.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 CLP 774

$2.23 ฿74.1

-63.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.63 CLP 40.0K

$22.74 ฿756

83.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 CLP 418

$3.03 ฿101

-85.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 CLP 814

$1.02 ฿34.02

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.79 CLP 11.3K

$3.89 ฿129

203.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 CLP 1,492

$1.49 ฿49.57

4.03%

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

$18.2K CLP 17.5M

$26.6K ฿883.8K

-31.42%

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

$21.9K CLP 21.0M

$27.0K ฿898.7K

-19.03%

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

$154 CLP 147.9K

$102 ฿3,407

50.24%

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

$12.82 CLP 12.3K

$11.33 ฿377

13.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.16 CLP 19.4K

$17.40 ฿578

15.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.36 CLP 33.0K

$52.1 ฿1,732

-34.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.94 CLP 11.5K

$11.07 ฿368

7.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.56 CLP 7,265

$7.69 ฿256

-1.69%

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

$449 CLP 430.8K

$561 ฿18.6K

-20.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K CLP 10.8M

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-2.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 CLP 48.6K

$63.0 ฿2,096

-19.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.29 CLP 28.1K

$29.52 ฿982

-0.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 CLP 66.2K

$98.0 ฿3,259

-29.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 CLP 80.2K

$88.5 ฿2,943

-5.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$574 CLP 551.9K

$738 ฿24.5K

-22.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 CLP 375.2K

$482 ฿16.0K

-19.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 CLP 996.7K

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-50.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$777 CLP 746.5K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-36.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,663 CLP 2.6M

$3,617 ฿120.3K

-26.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,567 CLP 2.5M

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-1.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$808 CLP 776.3K

$494 ฿16.4K

63.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

5.57

-3.23%

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

Last update for Santiago: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $574 in Santiago and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Santiago vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $239 vs $274, with Santiago 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

Santiago is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 64% higher in Santiago, 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: $574 in Santiago versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $449 in Santiago versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,198 in Santiago versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santiago 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 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 gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.