Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Carthage

For one person, living is cheaper in Carthage: $693 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Carthage, Tunisia
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Carthage
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$693
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Carthage

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $693 in Carthage.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Carthage $693

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,103 in Carthage.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Carthage $1,103

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,513 in Carthage.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Carthage $1,513

Living in Phuket is roughly 84% more expensive than in Carthage, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Carthage 49% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Carthage
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$4.56 TND 13.69
-1.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$22.10 TND 66.4
46.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$5.84 TND 17.54
50.86%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$1.12 TND 3.36
152.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$0.74 TND 2.21
17.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$0.29 TND 0.88
68.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$1.71 TND 5.15
49.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$1.96 TND 5.88
87.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Carthage
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$0.48 TND 1.45
245.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$0.26 TND 0.78
461.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.71 TND 5.13
-12.28%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.73 TND 5.20
20.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$10.21 TND 30.66
86.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$5.92 TND 17.79
-44.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$14.61 TND 43.90
-25.33%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$1.36 TND 4.07
115.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$3.61 TND 10.84
-53.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.16 TND 3.48
93.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$0.77 TND 2.32
170.13%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.83 TND 2.50
81.93%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$0.69 TND 2.07
100.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$0.53 TND 1.58
101.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.31 TND 0.93
67.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$3.75 TND 11.28
12.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$6.67 TND 20.04
181.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.22 TND 3.68
49.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$1.30 TND 3.90
118.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Carthage
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
$0.41 TND 1.22
253.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$13.59 TND 40.83
316.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$0.33 TND 0.99
815.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$0.35 TND 1.06
191.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$1.79 TND 5.37
106.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$0.84 TND 2.52
75.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$39.0K TND 117.3K
-31.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$35.8K TND 107.5K
-25.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Carthage
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$45.26 TND 136
112.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$8.90 TND 26.74
26.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$20.82 TND 62.6
-19.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Carthage
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$31.89 TND 95.8
110.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$13.15 TND 39.51
-18.40%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$4.95 TND 14.87
51.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Carthage
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$107 TND 321
345.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$3,149 TND 9,462
257.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Carthage
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$43.81 TND 132
42.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$60.7 TND 182
-53.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$113 TND 338
-16.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$67.8 TND 204
26.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Carthage
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$204 TND 613
250.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$153 TND 460
220.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$206 TND 620
833.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$276 TND 830
417.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$972 TND 2,922
329.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$616 TND 1,851
394.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Carthage
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$264 TND 793
90.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10.65
-47.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Carthage: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Carthage
$153 68.8% $338
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Carthage
$194 27.2% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Carthage
$75 39.8% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Carthage
$128 5.2% $6.3
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Carthage
$84 31% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Carthage
$42 49.2% $40
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Carthage
$17 75.5% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $204 in Carthage. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 90% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $22 in Carthage for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $194 per month, with Carthage cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇹🇳 Carthage
🕒 Local time
10:37 10:37 AM
04:37 4:37 AM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
21,276
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3 TND (1 TND = 0.333 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.298 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Carthage 9,310 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Carthage

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
Phuket vs Carthage: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Phuket and in Carthage?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $693 in Carthage, so Carthage is about 46% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Phuket or Carthage?
Average pay runs 90% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Phuket and in Carthage?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $204 in Carthage. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Carthage – a meal for two runs $22 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $693 in Carthage versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Carthage but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Carthage the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Carthage?
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.
Where should expats move: Phuket or Carthage?
Expats usually find Carthage gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?