Cost of Living Comparison Between Santorini and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Santorini and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,146 in Santorini versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,116 in Santorini versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,086 in Santorini versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Santorini is roughly 72% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santorini is 61% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.77 €17.29

$4.55 ฿153

334.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 €79.1

$46.18 ฿1,554

95.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.07 €14.06

$8.84 ฿298

81.79%

Cappuccino

$4.71 €4.12

$3.06 ฿103

53.92%

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

$3.81 €3.33

$0.73 ฿24.42

421.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.22

$0.40 ฿13.40

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 €5.06

$2.43 ฿81.8

137.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.47 €6.53

$3.78 ฿127

97.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.83

$2.26 ฿76.0

-7.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.81 ฿60.9

-21.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 €2.96

$2.25 ฿75.8

50.67%

Eggs

$6.82 €5.97

$2.25 ฿75.6

203.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.85 €12.99

$19.51 ฿656

-23.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 €6.76

$3.65 ฿123

111.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.32 €14.28

$13.05 ฿439

25.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.47

$3.23 ฿109

-12.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.98

$1.62 ฿54.4

39.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 €1.50

$2.38 ฿80.2

-28.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.03 ฿68.2

67.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.24

$1.53 ฿51.6

67.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.05

$1.50 ฿50.5

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 €0.82

$0.98 ฿32.93

-4.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.58

$0.52 ฿17.40

28.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 €5.98

$4.44 ฿149

54.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 €5.10

$18.32 ฿616

-68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$1.86 ฿62.7

10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.59

$2.68 ฿90.2

10.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.41 ฿47.49

93.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$11.70 ฿394

291.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 €3.93

$3.11 ฿105

44.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.94 €12.19

$14.11 ฿475

-1.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.91

$1.31 ฿44.13

66.41%

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

$31.7K €27.8K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

14.14%

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

$26.3K €23.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-20.92%

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

$324 €284

$122 ฿4,120

164.72%

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

$45.62 €39.92

$13.59 ฿457

235.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.07 €29.80

$18.70 ฿629

82.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.0 €71.8

$60.5 ฿2,035

35.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.84 €22.61

$16.98 ฿572

52.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.02 €6.14

$9.07 ฿305

-22.60%

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

$627 €549

$706 ฿23.8K

-11.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,010 €5,258

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-61.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 €61.0

$58.6 ฿1,970

19.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 €45.21

$35.36 ฿1,190

46.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 €68.7

$115 ฿3,885

-31.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €101

$83.7 ฿2,818

37.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$499 €437

$626 ฿21.1K

-20.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$787 €688

$445 ฿15.0K

76.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 €1,172

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-34.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 €925

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-29.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,168 €4,521

$3,483 ฿117.2K

48.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,425 €2,996

$2,577 ฿86.7K

32.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,232 €1,078

$500 ฿16.8K

146.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.15

5.33

-22.14%

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

Last update for Santorini: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $499 in Santorini and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santorini pays 147% 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: $90.0 in Santorini vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $289 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Santorini vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 147% higher in Santorini, 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: $499 in Santorini versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $627 in Santorini versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Santorini. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,146 in Santorini, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santorini. 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 Santorini, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santorini 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 72% less than in Santorini. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.