Cost of Living Comparison Between Talcahuano and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Talcahuano and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,057 in Talcahuano versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,617 in Talcahuano versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,177 in Talcahuano versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Talcahuano costs roughly 14% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Talcahuano 21% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.55 CLP 7,660

$4.63 ฿151

84.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.14 CLP 39.5K

$46.84 ฿1,523

-5.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 CLP 7,269

$8.84 ฿287

-8.14%

Cappuccino

$2.72 CLP 2,435

$3.00 ฿97.4

-9.33%

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

$1.30 CLP 1,162

$0.74 ฿24.11

75.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 CLP 917

$0.37 ฿11.88

175.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 CLP 2,937

$2.44 ฿79.3

34.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 CLP 3,754

$3.61 ฿117

16.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 CLP 1,109

$2.26 ฿73.5

-45.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 CLP 1,407

$1.84 ฿59.8

-14.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 CLP 1,655

$2.24 ฿73.0

-17.41%

Eggs

$3.60 CLP 3,224

$2.32 ฿75.3

55.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 CLP 9,261

$19.67 ฿639

-47.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 CLP 5,860

$3.65 ฿119

79.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 CLP 9,954

$13.10 ฿426

-15.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 CLP 1,634

$3.39 ฿110

-46.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 CLP 1,406

$1.64 ฿53.4

-4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,414

$2.41 ฿78.5

-34.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 CLP 1,290

$2.03 ฿66.0

-29.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 CLP 1,100

$1.56 ฿50.6

-21.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 CLP 1,215

$1.50 ฿48.66

-9.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 CLP 1,082

$1.02 ฿33.30

18.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,094

$0.49 ฿15.91

148.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 CLP 4,786

$4.45 ฿145

20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CLP 1,456

$1.78 ฿57.7

-8.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 CLP 1,973

$2.75 ฿89.5

-20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 CLP 511

$1.40 ฿45.54

-59.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 CLP 420

$3.12 ฿101

-84.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 CLP 1,279

$1.35 ฿43.93

5.93%

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

$19.2K CLP 17.2M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-29.23%

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

$21.7K CLP 19.5M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-34.02%

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

$131 CLP 117.5K

$125 ฿4,063

4.94%

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

$13.49 CLP 12.1K

$13.57 ฿441

-0.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.78 CLP 19.5K

$18.52 ฿602

17.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.43 CLP 34.4K

$61.5 ฿1,999

-37.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.07 CLP 18.9K

$16.84 ฿547

25.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 CLP 5,110

$9.19 ฿299

-37.87%

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

$437 CLP 391.1K

$698 ฿22.7K

-37.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 CLP 45.9K

$57.8 ฿1,878

-11.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.20 CLP 27.1K

$35.24 ฿1,146

-14.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.4 CLP 55.9K

$113 ฿3,677

-44.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.4 CLP 73.8K

$86.4 ฿2,808

-4.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 CLP 429.6K

$616 ฿20.0K

-22.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 CLP 336.6K

$446 ฿14.5K

-15.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 CLP 784.6K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-57.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$599 CLP 536.6K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-59.85%

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)

$676 CLP 605.2K

$524 ฿17.0K

29.00%

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 Talcahuano: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $480 in Talcahuano and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Talcahuano pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Talcahuano vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $292 per month, with Talcahuano 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

Talcahuano vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Talcahuano is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Talcahuano pays 29% more on average, 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: $480 in Talcahuano versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $437 in Talcahuano 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 Talcahuano – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,057 in Talcahuano versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Talcahuano but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Talcahuano the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Talcahuano 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, Talcahuano 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 Talcahuano gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.