Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and La Marsa

For one person, living is cheaper in La Marsa: $766 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in La Marsa
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La Marsa Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

La Marsa

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$766

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in La Marsa

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 La Marsa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $766 in La Marsa, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
La Marsa $766

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,280 in La Marsa, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
La Marsa $1,280

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,794 in La Marsa, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
La Marsa $1,794

Phuket costs about 67% more than La Marsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and La Marsa are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, La Marsa 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.40 TND 10.22

31.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$19.63 TND 59.0

65.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.18 TND 15.56

70.08%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.25 TND 3.76

126.40%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.59 TND 1.77

47.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.28 TND 0.85

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.46 TND 4.39

75.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.95 TND 5.85

88.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.49 TND 1.48

238.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.29 TND 0.86

403.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.23 TND 6.70

-32.74%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.77 TND 5.32

18.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$9.90 TND 29.73

92.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.62 TND 19.89

-50.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$13.02 TND 39.11

-16.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.95 TND 5.85

50.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$3.60 TND 10.83

-53.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.43 TND 4.28

57.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.67 TND 2.01

210.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.58 TND 1.76

160.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.67 TND 2.00

105.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.43 TND 1.31

148.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.28 TND 0.83

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.56 TND 10.69

17.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$6.50 TND 19.54

189.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.25 TND 3.76

45.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.59 TND 4.78

78.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.32 TND 0.95

353.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$7.22 TND 21.68

684.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.31 TND 0.94

874.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.46 TND 1.38

121.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$3.89 TND 11.69

-5.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.86 TND 2.58

70.93%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$40.0K TND 120.1K

-33.02%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$37.0K TND 111.1K

-27.85%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$33.34 TND 100

188.99%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$12.23 TND 36.74

-7.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$18.21 TND 54.7

-7.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$42.01 TND 126

60.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$7.14 TND 21.44

50.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.30 TND 15.92

41.51%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$57.5 TND 173

727.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$2,532 TND 7,606

344.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$63.6 TND 191

-1.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$70.5 TND 212

-59.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$88.7 TND 266

6.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$91.2 TND 274

-5.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$288 TND 865

148.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$229 TND 687

114.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$710 TND 2,134

171.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$564 TND 1,693

153.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,658 TND 4,980

151.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,162 TND 3,491

162.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$333 TND 1,001

50.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-60.21%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for La Marsa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

La Marsa

$229 29.8% 53.5% $262

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

La Marsa

$197 25.7% 26.1% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

La Marsa

$64 8.3% 48.8% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

La Marsa

$141 18.4% 15.9% $19

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

La Marsa

$72 9.5% 40.5% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

La Marsa

$53 6.9% 36% $30

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

La Marsa

$11 1.5% 84.3% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $288 in La Marsa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 51% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $20 in La Marsa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $197 – making La Marsa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇳 La Marsa

🕒 Local time

07:47 7:47 AM

01:47 1:47 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

92,987

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 TND = 0.333 USD

1 TND = 0.298 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3 TND (1 TND = 0.333 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.298 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket La Marsa 9,310 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
La Marsa

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 La Marsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,150 in La Marsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Marsa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $288 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $766 in La Marsa. That makes La Marsa about 40% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 87% less in La Marsa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in La Marsa, where all-in costs run around $766, than in Phuket at $1,278. In La Marsa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward La Marsa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with La Marsa. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.