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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,159 in Tacarigua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,005 in Tacarigua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,851 in Tacarigua.

Living in Phuket is roughly 6% more expensive than Tacarigua, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tacarigua 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.30 TTD 70.0

-55.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$88.8 TTD 603

-47.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.78 TTD 46.01

30.38%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.03 TTD 20.58

-0.99%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.01 TTD 6.84

-26.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.72 TTD 4.90

-48.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.05 TTD 7.16

132.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.13 TTD 21.26

15.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.90 TTD 12.88

18.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.67 TTD 11.35

10.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.59 TTD 17.58

-13.51%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.60 TTD 24.42

-35.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$3.59 TTD 24.37

447.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.69 TTD 25.05

-1.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$14.51 TTD 98.5

-9.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$5.66 TTD 38.42

-40.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.67 TTD 11.33

-1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$4.43 TTD 30.10

-45.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.77 TTD 32.38

-57.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.96 TTD 6.54

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.46 TTD 3.12

226.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.52 TTD 10.29

-32.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.41 TTD 9.60

-65.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$6.07 TTD 41.19

-26.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$19.49 TTD 132

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.22 TTD 15.04

-19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.78 TTD 18.90

-1.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.00 TTD 6.81

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.02 TTD 6.91

205.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.27 TTD 8.60

-21.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$14.83 TTD 101

-4.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.46 TTD 3.13

193.48%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$34.1K TTD 231.9K

-20.40%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.1K TTD 224.6K

-0.47%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$81.6 TTD 554

53.12%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$45.92 TTD 312

-70.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$36.90 TTD 251

-49.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$51.2 TTD 347

20.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.20 TTD 48.90

27.64%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$325 TTD 2,207

114.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,240 TTD 49.2K

115.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$29.63 TTD 201

94.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$30.02 TTD 204

17.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$75.3 TTD 511

50.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$43.56 TTD 296

98.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$375 TTD 2,548

18.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$877 TTD 5,958

70.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tacarigua: April 27, 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 $292 vs $296 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 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,739 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 $698 in Phuket versus $325 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 $1,159 in Tacarigua versus $1,232 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 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.