🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,078 in Vina del Mar versus $1,232 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,679 in Vina del Mar versus $2,255 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,279 in Vina del Mar versus $3,279 in Phuket.
🙂Living in Vina del Mar costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Vina del Mar19% lower, Phuket8% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vina del Mar
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.00CLP 6,269
$4.63฿151
51.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.2CLP 47.6K
$46.84฿1,523
13.54%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.42CLP 6,647
$8.84฿287
-16.06%
Cappuccino
$2.78CLP 2,493
$3.00฿97.4
-7.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.16CLP 1,038
$0.74฿24.11
56.76%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.91CLP 815
$0.37฿11.88
145.95%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.18CLP 1,954
$2.44฿79.3
-10.66%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44CLP 3,082
$3.61฿117
-4.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vina del Mar
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.17CLP 1,044
$2.26฿73.5
-48.23%
White Bread(500g)
$1.32CLP 1,185
$1.84฿59.8
-28.26%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.67CLP 1,495
$2.24฿73.0
-25.45%
Eggs
$3.01CLP 2,695
$2.32฿75.3
29.74%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.98CLP 8,942
$19.67฿639
-49.26%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.97CLP 4,452
$3.65฿119
36.16%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.79CLP 9,663
$13.10฿426
-17.63%
Apples(1kg)
$1.86CLP 1,666
$3.39฿110
-45.13%
Banana(1kg)
$1.44CLP 1,290
$1.64฿53.4
-12.20%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.41CLP 1,263
$2.41฿78.5
-41.49%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.40CLP 1,255
$2.03฿66.0
-31.03%
Potato(1kg)
$1.30CLP 1,166
$1.56฿50.6
-16.67%
Onion(1kg)
$1.39CLP 1,248
$1.50฿48.66
-7.33%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.03CLP 927
$1.02฿33.30
0.98%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08CLP 965
$0.49฿15.91
120.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.92CLP 4,410
$4.45฿145
10.56%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.76CLP 6,051
$18.88฿614
-64.19%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.56CLP 1,393
$1.78฿57.7
-12.36%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36CLP 2,114
$2.75฿89.5
-14.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Vina del Mar
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.56CLP 505
$1.40฿45.54
-60.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$37.09CLP 33.2K
$11.48฿373
223.08%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.51CLP 453
$3.12฿101
-83.65%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.40CLP 1,254
$1.00฿32.48
40.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$11.74CLP 10.5K
$14.09฿458
-16.68%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.36CLP 1,222
$1.35฿43.93
0.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.4KCLP 17.4M
$27.2K฿883.7K
-28.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.6KCLP 16.7M
$32.9K฿1.1M
-43.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vina del Mar
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$130CLP 116.3K
$125฿4,063
3.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.82CLP 12.4K
$13.57฿441
1.84%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.63CLP 17.6K
$18.52฿602
5.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vina del Mar
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$54.8CLP 49.1K
$61.5฿1,999
-10.93%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.31CLP 19.1K
$16.84฿547
26.54%
Cinema Ticket
$5.31CLP 4,758
$9.19฿299
-42.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vina del Mar
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$438CLP 392.3K
$698฿22.7K
-37.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,351CLP 4.8M
$15.6K฿506.9K
-65.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vina del Mar
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.28CLP 43.2K
$57.8฿1,878
-16.41%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.97CLP 28.6K
$35.24฿1,146
-9.28%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$61.6CLP 55.1K
$113฿3,677
-45.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.9CLP 76.0K
$86.4฿2,808
-1.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vina del Mar
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$450CLP 402.9K
$616฿20.0K
-26.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$331CLP 296.1K
$446฿14.5K
-25.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$840CLP 752.7K
$2,048฿66.6K
-58.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$637CLP 570.4K
$1,492฿48.5K
-57.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,550CLP 2.3M
$3,779฿122.8K
-32.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,707CLP 1.5M
$2,649฿86.1K
-35.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vina del Mar
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,158CLP 1.0M
$524฿17.0K
121.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.83
5.33
-9.38%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Vina del Mar: April 26, 2026
Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $450 in Vina del Mar and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Vina del Mar pays 121% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.
🛒Dining out: $53.0 in Vina del Mar vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $211 vs $292, with Vina del Mar cheaper for home cooking.
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
Vina del Mar vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Vina del Mar?
Vina del Mar is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Vina del Mar or Phuket?
Vina del Mar pays 121% 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 Vina del Mar and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $450 in Vina del Mar 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 $438 in Vina del Mar 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 Vina del Mar and Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for Vina del Mar or Phuket?
At $1,078 in Vina del Mar versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vina del Mar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Vina del Mar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Vina del Mar or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Vina del Mar 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, Vina del Mar or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Vina del Mar 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 Vina del Mar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Vina del Mar vs other spots: cost of living compared