Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Monastir

For one person, living is cheaper in Monastir: $706 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Monastir
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Monastir Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monastir

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$706

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Monastir

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $706 in Monastir.

Phuket $1,278
Monastir $706

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,131 in Monastir.

Phuket $2,216
Monastir $1,131

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,555 in Monastir.

Phuket $3,154
Monastir $1,555

Living in Phuket is roughly 81% more expensive than in Monastir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Monastir 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$5.01 TND 15.04

-10.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$22.48 TND 67.6

44.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.15 TND 18.46

43.25%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.19 TND 3.58

137.82%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.74 TND 2.23

17.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.36 TND 1.09

36.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.63 TND 4.91

57.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.63 TND 4.90

125.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.44 TND 1.31

277.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.17 TND 0.51

758.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.68 TND 5.04

-10.71%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.58 TND 4.73

32.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$13.71 TND 41.18

39.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.15 TND 18.47

-46.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$14.60 TND 43.85

-25.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.01 TND 6.05

45.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$4.40 TND 13.21

-61.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.20 TND 3.59

87.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.80 TND 2.39

160.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.87 TND 2.62

73.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.72 TND 2.17

91.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.44 TND 1.33

143.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.33 TND 1.00

57.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.74 TND 11.24

12.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.70 TND 17.14

229.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.21 TND 3.64

50.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.32 TND 3.96

115.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.32 TND 0.95

353.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$11.01 TND 33.08

414.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.29 TND 0.87

941.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.29 TND 0.86

251.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$1.77 TND 5.32

108.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.83 TND 2.48

77.11%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$39.7K TND 119.3K

-32.55%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$35.9K TND 108.0K

-25.73%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$61.5 TND 185

56.56%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$10.56 TND 31.74

6.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$20.06 TND 60.3

-16.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$23.67 TND 71.1

184.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$6.63 TND 19.92

61.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.03 TND 18.12

24.38%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$94.4 TND 284

404.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$3,205 TND 9,630

251.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$46.92 TND 141

32.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$67.5 TND 203

-57.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$111 TND 334

-15.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$97.2 TND 292

-11.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$203 TND 609

253.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$121 TND 362

307.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$354 TND 1,064

444.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$233 TND 701

513.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,219 TND 3,661

242.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$619 TND 1,859

392.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$347 TND 1,041

44.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Monastir: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Monastir

$121 17.1% 75.4% $370

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Monastir

$210 29.7% 21.2% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Monastir

$92 13.1% 26% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Monastir

$145 20.6% 19.2% $23

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Monastir

$89 12.6% 27.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Monastir

$36 5.1% 56.5% $46

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Monastir

$14 2% 80.2% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $203 in Monastir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 45% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $22 in Monastir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $210 per month, with Monastir cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇳 Monastir

🕒 Local time

16:55 4:55 PM

10:55 10:55 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

104,535

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 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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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Monastir 9,280 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Monastir

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 Monastir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monastir is about 45% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $203 in Monastir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $706 in Monastir – Monastir is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Monastir runs roughly 81% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $706 in Monastir versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monastir but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Monastir 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, Phuket and Monastir are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Monastir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.