Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tacarigua Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tacarigua

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,130 in Tacarigua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,019 in Tacarigua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,908 in Tacarigua.

Living in Phuket is roughly 12% more expensive than Tacarigua, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tacarigua 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$10.19 TTD 68.9

-55.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$88.9 TTD 601

-47.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.50 TTD 43.91

30.31%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.88 TTD 19.47

5.21%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.01 TTD 6.81

-31.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.72 TTD 4.88

-48.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.02 TTD 6.88

144.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.08 TTD 20.81

18.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.97 TTD 13.30

10.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.61 TTD 10.92

18.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.70 TTD 18.27

-18.52%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.62 TTD 24.50

-38.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$3.61 TTD 24.42

453.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.75 TTD 25.37

-2.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$14.16 TTD 95.8

-6.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$5.95 TTD 40.25

-45.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.67 TTD 11.28

1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$4.40 TTD 29.75

-45.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$4.60 TTD 31.07

-54.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.99 TTD 6.69

60.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.46 TTD 3.12

221.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.45 TTD 9.78

-28.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.45 TTD 9.78

-64.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$6.00 TTD 40.57

-29.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$18.48 TTD 125

1.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.12 TTD 14.34

-16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.75 TTD 18.62

0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.00 TTD 6.76

36.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.04 TTD 7.06

201.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.23 TTD 8.30

-15.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$14.72 TTD 99.6

-6.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.42 TTD 2.87

219.05%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$33.5K TTD 226.6K

-17.41%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$33.1K TTD 224.0K

2.19%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$81.3 TTD 549

52.07%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$46.59 TTD 315

-70.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$37.65 TTD 255

-50.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$51.2 TTD 346

20.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$7.22 TTD 48.85

26.59%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$328 TTD 2,220

113.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$7,288 TTD 49.3K

117.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$29.00 TTD 196

105.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$30.16 TTD 204

16.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$74.4 TTD 503

55.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$44.77 TTD 303

87.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$375 TTD 2,538

15.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$900 TTD 6,082

67.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.38

-0.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tacarigua: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $89.0 in Tacarigua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $294 per month, with Phuket 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 Tacarigua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tacarigua is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,695 in Tacarigua 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 $703 in Phuket versus $328 in Tacarigua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tacarigua – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,130 in Tacarigua versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tacarigua but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tacarigua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tacarigua 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 Tacarigua 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 Tacarigua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.