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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,148 in Tacarigua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,976 in Tacarigua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,804 in Tacarigua.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than in Tacarigua, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Tacarigua 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$10.29 TTD 69.1

-56.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$89.5 TTD 601

-49.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.85 TTD 45.97

27.88%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.94 TTD 19.73

1.02%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.05 TTD 7.08

-34.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.73 TTD 4.89

-46.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.05 TTD 7.02

140.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.15 TTD 21.13

19.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.89 TTD 12.71

13.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.62 TTD 10.85

12.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.71 TTD 18.22

-19.56%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$3.61 TTD 24.26

-37.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$3.65 TTD 24.54

447.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.72 TTD 24.98

-2.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$14.19 TTD 95.3

-4.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$5.71 TTD 38.36

-43.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.60 TTD 10.74

2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$4.28 TTD 28.74

-45.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$4.61 TTD 30.92

-55.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.95 TTD 6.37

63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.42 TTD 2.82

247.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.45 TTD 9.71

-32.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.41 TTD 9.50

-65.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$5.84 TTD 39.20

-25.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$17.88 TTD 120

3.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.13 TTD 14.33

-12.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.73 TTD 18.33

-2.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.00 TTD 6.73

42.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.02 TTD 6.82

210.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.28 TTD 8.62

-19.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$14.67 TTD 98.5

-5.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.42 TTD 2.81

219.05%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$33.9K TTD 227.4K

-17.95%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$32.9K TTD 220.9K

1.48%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$81.1 TTD 545

51.74%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$46.14 TTD 310

-70.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$36.73 TTD 247

-50.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$51.7 TTD 347

17.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$7.47 TTD 50.1

18.74%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$326 TTD 2,187

111.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$7,288 TTD 48.9K

116.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$30.12 TTD 202

96.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$29.72 TTD 200

16.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$74.7 TTD 501

54.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$44.92 TTD 302

86.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$364 TTD 2,442

22.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$893 TTD 5,995

67.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tacarigua: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $90.0 in Tacarigua. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $289, with Tacarigua cheaper for home cooking.

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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,722 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 $688 in Phuket versus $326 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 $90.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,148 in Tacarigua versus $1,264 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 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.