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: $1,288 in Santiago versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,020 in Santiago versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,752 in Santiago versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Santiago is roughly 3% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago 4% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 CLP 9,983

$4.55 ฿153

135.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 CLP 51.0K

$46.18 ฿1,554

18.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 CLP 7,601

$8.84 ฿298

-7.69%

Cappuccino

$3.16 CLP 2,941

$3.06 ฿103

3.27%

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

$1.78 CLP 1,660

$0.73 ฿24.42

143.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 CLP 1,162

$0.40 ฿13.40

212.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 CLP 3,086

$2.43 ฿81.8

36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 CLP 3,946

$3.78 ฿127

12.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 CLP 1,101

$2.26 ฿76.0

-47.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 CLP 1,429

$1.81 ฿60.9

-15.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CLP 2,031

$2.25 ฿75.8

-3.11%

Eggs

$4.19 CLP 3,898

$2.25 ฿75.6

86.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 CLP 9,913

$19.51 ฿656

-45.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 CLP 6,135

$3.65 ฿123

80.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.13 CLP 10.4K

$13.05 ฿439

-14.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 CLP 1,947

$3.23 ฿109

-35.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 CLP 1,440

$1.62 ฿54.4

-4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 CLP 1,923

$2.38 ฿80.2

-13.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 CLP 1,730

$2.03 ฿68.2

-8.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 CLP 1,820

$1.53 ฿51.6

27.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 CLP 1,514

$1.50 ฿50.5

8.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 CLP 1,194

$0.98 ฿32.93

30.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CLP 1,160

$0.52 ฿17.40

140.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.75 CLP 5,359

$4.44 ฿149

29.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.50 CLP 6,051

$18.32 ฿616

-64.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CLP 1,452

$1.86 ฿62.7

-16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 CLP 2,308

$2.68 ฿90.2

-7.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 788

$1.41 ฿47.49

-39.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.60 CLP 39.7K

$11.70 ฿394

264.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 CLP 477

$3.11 ฿105

-83.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 CLP 1,351

$1.04 ฿35.08

39.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.30 CLP 10.5K

$14.11 ฿475

-19.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 CLP 1,290

$1.31 ฿44.13

6.11%

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

$19.5K CLP 18.2M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-29.72%

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

$22.6K CLP 21.0M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-32.08%

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

$134 CLP 124.6K

$122 ฿4,120

9.25%

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

$13.59 CLP 12.7K

$13.59 ฿457

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.02 CLP 20.5K

$18.70 ฿629

17.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.67 CLP 32.3K

$60.5 ฿2,035

-42.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.24 CLP 19.8K

$16.98 ฿572

25.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 CLP 5,857

$9.07 ฿305

-30.65%

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

$436 CLP 406.4K

$706 ฿23.8K

-38.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,744 CLP 8.1M

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-44.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CLP 51.5K

$58.6 ฿1,970

-5.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.30 CLP 30.1K

$35.36 ฿1,190

-8.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 CLP 71.9K

$115 ฿3,885

-33.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.5 CLP 79.6K

$83.7 ฿2,818

2.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 CLP 479.3K

$626 ฿21.1K

-17.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 CLP 430.1K

$445 ฿15.0K

3.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 CLP 920.7K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-51.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$920 CLP 856.6K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-38.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 CLP 2.7M

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-17.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,757 CLP 2.6M

$2,577 ฿86.7K

7.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$803 CLP 747.6K

$500 ฿16.8K

60.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

5.33

-2.81%

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

Last update for Santiago: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $515 in Santiago and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 61% 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 vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $289, 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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $515 in Santiago versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Santiago versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,288 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 3% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.