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 $775 in Tacarigua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,306 in Tacarigua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,836 in Tacarigua.

Living in Phuket is roughly 59% more expensive than in Tacarigua, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Tacarigua 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.21 TTD 68.7

-56.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$59.8 TTD 402

-46.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.95 TTD 53.5

12.33%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.77 TTD 25.35

-23.08%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.00 TTD 6.70

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.72 TTD 4.85

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.89 TTD 12.72

24.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.57 TTD 17.29

44.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.99 TTD 13.37

-6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.24 TTD 15.07

-34.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.90 TTD 19.49

-46.55%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$3.78 TTD 25.40

-44.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.73 TTD 45.27

191.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.96 TTD 67.0

-65.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$8.75 TTD 58.9

30.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.35 TTD 35.98

-44.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.47 TTD 16.63

-31.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$3.77 TTD 25.39

-41.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.37 TTD 29.39

-50.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.76 TTD 5.12

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.70 TTD 4.74

91.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.43 TTD 9.60

-20.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.17 TTD 7.87

-52.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.75 TTD 38.69

-25.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$17.39 TTD 117

9.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.48 TTD 9.93

20.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.97 TTD 19.98

-6.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.85 TTD 5.70

256.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.84 TTD 5.65

21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$14.61 TTD 98.3

-73.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.16 TTD 7.79

28.45%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$37.2K TTD 250.4K

-28.58%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$41.0K TTD 275.7K

-34.03%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$44.43 TTD 299

130.63%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$41.99 TTD 283

-73.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$45.83 TTD 308

-62.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$9.03 TTD 60.8

-14.84%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$396 TTD 2,664

41.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$10.8K TTD 72.4K

6.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$54.6 TTD 368

15.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$37.54 TTD 253

-21.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$89.7 TTD 604

9.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$89.4 TTD 601

-0.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.75

-3.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Tacarigua: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $60.0 in Tacarigua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $315 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 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,163 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 $561 in Phuket versus $396 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 $60.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $775 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 59% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.