Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Tula Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Tula

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Bangkok versus $929 in Tula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,863 in Bangkok versus $1,436 in Tula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,589 in Bangkok versus $1,942 in Tula.

Living in Bangkok is roughly 22% more expensive than in Tula, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangkok 17% lower, Tula 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ฿99.8

$9.53 ₽824

-68.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.64 ฿1,205

$35.05 ₽3,033

4.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ฿244

$5.10 ₽441

45.49%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ฿97.5

$2.30 ₽199

28.70%

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

$0.67 ฿22.13

$1.79 ₽155

-62.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.17

$0.83 ₽71.5

-59.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 ฿87.5

$2.14 ₽185

24.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 ฿150

$2.76 ₽239

65.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ฿65.7

$1.17 ₽101

70.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ฿48.91

$0.60 ₽52.1

148.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$1.60 ₽138

-4.38%

Eggs

$2.66 ฿87.6

$1.82 ₽158

46.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.32 ฿569

$9.05 ₽783

91.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ฿118

$4.88 ₽422

-26.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 ฿462

$8.39 ₽726

67.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ฿135

$1.48 ₽128

178.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ฿63.3

$1.75 ₽151

9.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 ฿93.2

$1.25 ₽108

127.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 ฿64.5

$1.86 ₽161

5.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 ฿56.3

$0.99 ₽85.6

72.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.7

$0.96 ₽83.5

69.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ฿41.71

$2.11 ₽182

-39.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.47

$0.48 ₽41.76

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 ฿151

$2.30 ₽199

100.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 ฿502

$6.18 ₽535

147.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.4

$0.91 ₽79.1

95.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ฿111

$0.96 ₽83.0

250.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ฿36.51

$0.50 ₽43.26

122.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.19 ฿1,190

$16.14 ₽1,396

124.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ฿35.65

$1.51 ₽131

-28.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 ฿38.98

$0.67 ₽57.9

77.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.00 ฿197

$4.25 ₽368

41.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.89

$0.79 ₽68.0

81.01%

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

$32.0K ฿1.1M

$21.2K ₽1.8M

51.03%

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

$27.9K ฿917.7K

$27.6K ₽2.4M

1.15%

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

$105 ฿3,454

$119 ₽10.3K

-11.98%

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

$14.49 ฿476

$5.14 ₽445

181.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 ฿610

$7.33 ₽634

153.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$15.05 ₽1,303

295.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.07 ฿627

$8.75 ₽757

117.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.61 ฿250

$4.50 ₽390

69.11%

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

$558 ฿18.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ฿555.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.7 ฿2,422

$40.45 ₽3,500

82.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.33 ฿1,425

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 ฿3,165

$76.7 ₽6,633

25.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ฿3,870

$171 ₽14.8K

-30.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 ฿23.1K

$352 ₽30.5K

99.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ฿11.7K

$288 ₽24.9K

23.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ฿66.5K

$647 ₽56.0K

212.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 ฿24.9K

$527 ₽45.6K

43.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,987 ฿196.9K

$1,723 ₽149.1K

247.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,211 ฿105.6K

$1,039 ₽89.9K

208.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$638 ฿21.0K

$862 ₽74.6K

-25.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

25.33

-78.76%

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

Last update for Bangkok: August 29, 2026

Last update for Tula: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $704 in Bangkok and $352 in Tula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tula pays 35% 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 Bangkok vs $35.00 in Tula for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $178 per month, with Tula 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

Bangkok vs Tula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangkok and Tula differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,138 vs $929 including rent). Tula is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Tula. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $704 in Bangkok versus $352 in Tula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Bangkok. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,138 per month in Bangkok versus $929 in Tula – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $929 in Tula versus $1,138 in Bangkok, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tula but tight or insufficient in Bangkok. The gap between the two cities makes Tula the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Bangkok and Tula 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 Tula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Bangkok. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.