Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ta Khmau Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ta Khmau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $503 in Ta Khmau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $792 in Ta Khmau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,081 in Ta Khmau.

Living in Phuket is roughly 152% more expensive than in Ta Khmau, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Ta Khmau 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$2.55 ៛10.3K

82.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$24.34 ៛98.5K

32.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.85 ៛27.7K

26.72%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.65 ៛6,686

75.76%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.67 ៛2,701

25.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.46 ៛1,844

6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$0.98 ៛3,964

153.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.01 ៛8,158

85.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$2.14 ៛8,655

-11.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.64 ៛6,649

-14.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.08 ៛4,389

50.00%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.65 ៛6,665

35.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$14.04 ៛56.8K

41.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$2.62 ៛10.6K

32.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$9.11 ៛36.9K

24.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$4.03 ៛16.3K

-28.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.26 ៛5,122

36.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$3.84 ៛15.6K

-40.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.08 ៛4,387

97.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.27 ៛5,162

15.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.12 ៛4,544

26.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.14 ៛4,630

-3.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.72 ៛2,935

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$1.54 ៛6,232

179.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$7.64 ៛30.9K

143.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.96 ៛3,898

87.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.73 ៛7,009

71.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.10 ៛4,439

181.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.98 ៛3,973

10.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$5.13 ៛20.8K

-24.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.25 ៛5,048

14.40%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$24.7K ៛100.0M

12.47%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$22.1K ៛89.4M

22.27%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$107 ៛435.0K

-2.42%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$6.03 ៛24.4K

88.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$14.27 ៛57.8K

22.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$5.13 ៛20.8K

51.66%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$283 ៛1.1M

103.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$4,367 ៛17.7M

165.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$26.49 ៛107.3K

140.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$13.44 ៛54.4K

116.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$68.9 ៛278.9K

39.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$44.34 ៛179.6K

103.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.07

-30.98%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Ta Khmau: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Ta Khmau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $223 per month, with Ta Khmau 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

Phuket vs Ta Khmau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ta Khmau is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 152% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $754 in Ta Khmau to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $283 in Ta Khmau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ta Khmau – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $503 in Ta Khmau versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ta Khmau but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ta Khmau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ta Khmau 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ta Khmau 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 Ta Khmau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.