Cost of Living Comparison Between Temuco and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Temuco and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,200 in Temuco versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,768 in Temuco versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,335 in Temuco versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Temuco costs roughly 3% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Temuco 10% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.99 CLP 6,215

$4.63 ฿151

50.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.11 CLP 28.6K

$46.84 ฿1,532

-31.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 CLP 6,886

$8.84 ฿289

-12.44%

Cappuccino

$3.87 CLP 3,445

$3.00 ฿98.0

29.00%

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

$2.32 CLP 2,067

$0.74 ฿24.25

213.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 CLP 1,136

$0.37 ฿11.95

245.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 CLP 3,285

$2.44 ฿79.8

51.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 CLP 3,088

$3.61 ฿118

-3.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 CLP 1,046

$2.26 ฿73.9

-47.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 CLP 1,307

$1.84 ฿60.1

-20.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 CLP 1,162

$2.24 ฿73.4

-41.52%

Eggs

$3.54 CLP 3,149

$2.32 ฿75.7

52.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 CLP 8,561

$19.67 ฿643

-51.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.05 CLP 5,375

$3.65 ฿119

65.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.01 CLP 10.7K

$13.10 ฿428

-8.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 CLP 1,735

$3.39 ฿111

-42.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 CLP 1,860

$1.64 ฿53.7

27.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 CLP 1,891

$2.41 ฿79.0

-11.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 CLP 1,998

$2.03 ฿66.4

10.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 CLP 2,199

$1.56 ฿50.9

58.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 CLP 2,311

$1.50 ฿48.94

73.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 CLP 1,717

$1.02 ฿33.50

89.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CLP 1,056

$0.49 ฿16.00

142.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 CLP 4,253

$4.45 ฿145

7.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 CLP 4,590

$18.88 ฿617

-72.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CLP 1,401

$1.78 ฿58.1

-11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 CLP 1,896

$2.75 ฿90.1

-22.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 CLP 761

$1.40 ฿45.81

-38.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.54 CLP 30.7K

$11.48 ฿376

200.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 CLP 744

$3.12 ฿102

-73.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 CLP 1,381

$1.00 ฿32.67

55.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 CLP 8,868

$14.09 ฿461

-29.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 CLP 1,258

$1.35 ฿44.19

4.44%

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

$13.2K CLP 11.7M

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-51.53%

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

$18.3K CLP 16.3M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-44.27%

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

$217 CLP 192.6K

$125 ฿4,087

73.30%

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

$11.89 CLP 10.6K

$13.57 ฿444

-12.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.96 CLP 13.3K

$18.52 ฿606

-19.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.69 CLP 44.2K

$61.5 ฿2,010

-19.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.98 CLP 43.6K

$16.84 ฿551

190.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 CLP 4,299

$9.19 ฿300

-47.44%

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

$228 CLP 202.8K

$698 ฿22.8K

-67.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,869 CLP 2.6M

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-81.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.94 CLP 40.8K

$57.8 ฿1,889

-20.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.48 CLP 16.4K

$35.24 ฿1,152

-47.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.4 CLP 61.7K

$113 ฿3,699

-38.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 CLP 78.5K

$86.4 ฿2,825

2.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 CLP 375.2K

$616 ฿20.1K

-31.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 CLP 304.9K

$446 ฿14.6K

-23.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 CLP 658.0K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-63.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 CLP 465.7K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-64.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,187 CLP 1.9M

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-42.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,837 CLP 1.6M

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-30.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 CLP 520.0K

$524 ฿17.1K

11.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

5.33

-9.94%

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

Last update for Temuco: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $422 in Temuco and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Temuco pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Temuco vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $292 per month, with Temuco 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

Temuco vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Temuco pays 12% 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: $422 in Temuco versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $228 in Temuco versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,200 in Temuco versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Temuco but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Temuco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Temuco 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, Temuco 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 Temuco 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.