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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $456 in Ta Khmau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $752 in Ta Khmau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,049 in Ta Khmau.

Living in Phuket is roughly 174% more expensive than in Ta Khmau, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ta Khmau 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.48 ៛9,995

83.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$24.17 ៛97.4K

91.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.91 ៛27.8K

27.93%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.59 ៛6,428

92.45%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.69 ៛2,800

5.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.51 ៛2,039

-21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$0.98 ៛3,956

147.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.90 ៛7,642

98.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.75 ៛7,047

29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.41 ៛5,695

28.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.95 ៛3,822

136.84%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.55 ៛6,260

45.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$12.70 ៛51.2K

53.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.61 ៛14.6K

1.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.44 ៛42.1K

25.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.52 ៛14.2K

-8.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.13 ៛4,559

43.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$3.37 ៛13.6K

-29.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.30 ៛5,246

56.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.25 ៛5,057

22.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.95 ៛3,818

57.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.35 ៛5,428

-27.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.70 ៛2,830

-25.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.84 ៛7,428

141.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.66 ៛30.9K

139.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.79 ៛3,203

135.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.68 ៛6,763

59.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.04 ៛4,178

199.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.97 ៛3,929

7.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$4.47 ៛18.0K

215.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.12 ៛4,522

16.96%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$48.5K ៛195.4M

-42.62%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$36.9K ៛148.6M

-9.89%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$75.3 ៛303.7K

62.52%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$6.02 ៛24.3K

125.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$19.75 ៛79.6K

-5.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.44 ៛17.9K

104.28%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$365 ៛1.5M

93.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,028 ៛20.3M

214.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$22.27 ៛89.8K

162.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$18.21 ៛73.4K

94.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$55.4 ៛223.2K

108.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$36.30 ៛146.3K

130.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.2

-42.07%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ta Khmau: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Ta Khmau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $216 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 174% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $683 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 $706 in Phuket versus $365 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $456 in Ta Khmau versus $1,250 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 174% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.