🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,174 in Valparaiso versus $1,232 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,690 in Valparaiso versus $2,255 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,206 in Valparaiso versus $3,279 in Phuket.
🙂Living in Valparaiso costs roughly 5% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Valparaiso12% lower, Phuket8% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Valparaiso
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.84CLP 8,816
$4.63฿151
112.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.00CLP 33.1K
$46.84฿1,523
-21.01%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.56CLP 7,671
$8.84฿287
-3.17%
Cappuccino
$2.80CLP 2,504
$3.00฿97.4
-6.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.19CLP 1,069
$0.74฿24.11
60.81%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87CLP 775
$0.37฿11.88
135.14%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.25CLP 2,914
$2.44฿79.3
33.20%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22CLP 3,778
$3.61฿117
16.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Valparaiso
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.20CLP 1,075
$2.26฿73.5
-46.90%
White Bread(500g)
$1.51CLP 1,349
$1.84฿59.8
-17.93%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.17CLP 1,944
$2.24฿73.0
-3.13%
Eggs
$4.13CLP 3,699
$2.32฿75.3
78.02%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.50CLP 9,406
$19.67฿639
-46.62%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.86CLP 6,143
$3.65฿119
87.95%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.49CLP 8,500
$13.10฿426
-27.56%
Apples(1kg)
$1.80CLP 1,612
$3.39฿110
-46.90%
Banana(1kg)
$1.63CLP 1,459
$1.64฿53.4
-0.61%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.64CLP 1,471
$2.41฿78.5
-31.95%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.46CLP 1,304
$2.03฿66.0
-28.08%
Potato(1kg)
$1.21CLP 1,087
$1.56฿50.6
-22.44%
Onion(1kg)
$1.36CLP 1,221
$1.50฿48.66
-9.33%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.33CLP 1,193
$1.02฿33.30
30.39%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18CLP 1,056
$0.49฿15.91
140.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.65CLP 4,167
$4.45฿145
4.49%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.45CLP 4,879
$18.88฿614
-71.13%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.47CLP 1,313
$1.78฿57.7
-17.42%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84CLP 1,652
$2.75฿89.5
-33.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Valparaiso
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.60CLP 542
$1.40฿45.54
-57.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$54.4CLP 48.7K
$11.48฿373
373.87%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.51CLP 456
$3.12฿101
-83.65%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.74CLP 664
$1.00฿32.48
-26.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.88CLP 3,475
$14.09฿458
-72.46%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.43CLP 1,282
$1.35฿43.93
5.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$15.1KCLP 13.5M
$27.2K฿883.7K
-44.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.0KCLP 17.9M
$32.9K฿1.1M
-39.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Valparaiso
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$131CLP 117.2K
$125฿4,063
4.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.60CLP 12.2K
$13.57฿441
0.22%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.76CLP 19.5K
$18.52฿602
17.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Valparaiso
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$22.23CLP 19.9K
$61.5฿1,999
-63.84%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.34CLP 21.8K
$16.84฿547
44.54%
Cinema Ticket
$5.41CLP 4,850
$9.19฿299
-41.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Valparaiso
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$431CLP 386.3K
$698฿22.7K
-38.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$8,655CLP 7.8M
$15.6K฿506.9K
-44.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Valparaiso
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$31.84CLP 28.5K
$57.8฿1,878
-44.88%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.66CLP 19.4K
$35.24฿1,146
-38.54%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$62.2CLP 55.7K
$113฿3,677
-45.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.5CLP 45.2K
$86.4฿2,808
-41.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Valparaiso
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$488CLP 437.2K
$616฿20.0K
-20.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$429CLP 384.1K
$446฿14.5K
-3.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$705CLP 631.0K
$2,048฿66.6K
-65.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$575CLP 514.8K
$1,492฿48.5K
-61.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,706CLP 1.5M
$3,779฿122.8K
-54.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,116CLP 999.5K
$2,649฿86.1K
-57.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Valparaiso
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$808CLP 724.0K
$524฿17.0K
54.32%
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 Valparaiso: April 27, 2026
Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $488 in Valparaiso and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Valparaiso pays 54% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.
🛒Dining out: $37.00 in Valparaiso vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $292 per month, with Valparaiso 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
Valparaiso vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Valparaiso?
Valparaiso is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Valparaiso or Phuket?
Valparaiso pays 54% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Valparaiso and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $488 in Valparaiso versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $431 in Valparaiso versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Valparaiso and Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for Valparaiso or Phuket?
At $1,174 in Valparaiso versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Valparaiso but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Valparaiso the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Valparaiso or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Valparaiso 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.
Which city is safer, Valparaiso or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Valparaiso 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Valparaiso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Valparaiso vs other spots: cost of living compared