Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valdivia and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Valdivia: $1,001 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Valdivia
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Valdivia Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Valdivia

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,001

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Valdivia and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Valdivia and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,001 in Valdivia versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Valdivia $1,001
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,518 in Valdivia versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Valdivia $1,518
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,036 in Valdivia versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Valdivia $2,036
Phuket $3,154

Living in Valdivia costs roughly 22% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Valdivia 26% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.15 CLP 6,010

$4.47 ฿151

37.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 CLP 44.3K

$32.41 ฿1,094

39.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 CLP 6,504

$8.81 ฿297

-24.40%

Cappuccino

$2.01 CLP 1,966

$2.83 ฿95.5

-28.98%

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

$1.98 CLP 1,937

$0.87 ฿29.43

127.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CLP 1,242

$0.49 ฿16.67

159.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 CLP 3,495

$2.56 ฿86.4

39.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 CLP 3,403

$3.68 ฿124

-5.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 CLP 1,137

$1.66 ฿56.0

-30.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 CLP 1,296

$1.46 ฿49.35

-8.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,471

$1.50 ฿50.6

0.67%

Eggs

$2.98 CLP 2,908

$2.09 ฿70.5

42.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 CLP 8,670

$19.07 ฿644

-53.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 CLP 6,377

$3.30 ฿111

97.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.32 CLP 12.0K

$10.91 ฿368

12.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 CLP 2,017

$2.93 ฿99.0

-29.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 CLP 1,819

$1.69 ฿57.1

10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 CLP 1,750

$2.25 ฿75.8

-20.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 CLP 1,800

$2.08 ฿70.1

-11.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 CLP 2,228

$1.51 ฿51.0

50.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 CLP 1,461

$1.38 ฿46.56

7.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 CLP 1,446

$1.07 ฿35.99

38.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 CLP 1,098

$0.52 ฿17.52

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 CLP 5,023

$4.20 ฿142

22.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.68 CLP 4,572

$18.79 ฿634

-75.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CLP 1,462

$1.82 ฿61.5

-17.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 CLP 2,047

$2.84 ฿95.9

-26.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 CLP 581

$1.45 ฿49.03

-59.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 CLP 894

$3.02 ฿102

-69.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 CLP 1,428

$1.47 ฿49.81

-0.68%

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

$14.5K CLP 14.2M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-45.78%

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

$17.0K CLP 16.6M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-36.47%

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

$88.6 CLP 86.5K

$96.4 ฿3,254

-8.09%

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

$13.62 CLP 13.3K

$11.26 ฿380

20.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.40 CLP 29.7K

$16.85 ฿569

80.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.14 CLP 40.2K

$67.2 ฿2,270

-38.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.51 CLP 23.0K

$10.73 ฿362

119.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.58 CLP 4,476

$7.50 ฿253

-38.93%

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

$238 CLP 232.9K

$476 ฿16.1K

-49.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,049 CLP 3.0M

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-72.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.97 CLP 48.8K

$62.4 ฿2,106

-19.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.41 CLP 17.0K

$28.41 ฿959

-38.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.21 CLP 48.1K

$94.3 ฿3,184

-47.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 CLP 75.1K

$85.8 ฿2,898

-10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 CLP 558.4K

$716 ฿24.2K

-20.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 CLP 360.5K

$491 ฿16.6K

-24.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 CLP 968.0K

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-48.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 CLP 537.4K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-61.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,449 CLP 4.3M

$4,175 ฿141.0K

6.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$611 CLP 596.7K

$502 ฿17.0K

21.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

5.57

-19.21%

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

Last update for Valdivia: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Valdivia

$369 36.9%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 33% $122

Groceries & Markets

Valdivia

$227 22.7%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 17.2% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Valdivia

$133 13.3%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 6.1% $8.1

Eating Out

Valdivia

$131 13.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 7.2% $9.5

Clothing & Footwear

Valdivia

$87 8.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 40% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Valdivia

$50 5%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 63.5% $32

Getting Around

Valdivia

$3.3 * 0.3%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 2045% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $571 in Valdivia and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valdivia pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45 in Valdivia vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $227 vs $266, with Valdivia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Valdivia

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:40 3:40 PM

01:40 1:40 AM

10 h ahead of Valdivia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,048

79,308

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,088 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Valdivia Phuket 16,370 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Valdivia
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Valdivia vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valdivia is cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and clothing. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Valdivia, 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: $571 in Valdivia versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $238 in Valdivia versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $45 in Valdivia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Valdivia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.