Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Talisay City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Talisay City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $738 in Talisay City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,126 in Talisay City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,514 in Talisay City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 70% more expensive than in Talisay City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Talisay City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿151

$3.77 ₱236

20.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,082

$16.92 ₱1,058

92.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿295

$2.78 ₱174

220.14%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿93.0

$2.24 ₱140

25.00%

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

$0.88 ฿29.19

$0.63 ₱39.39

39.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.23

$0.35 ₱21.60

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿79.2

$1.08 ₱67.3

121.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿123

$1.90 ₱119

95.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿59.3

$1.69 ₱106

5.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.81

$1.11 ₱69.7

29.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.6

$0.89 ₱55.9

77.53%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿70.5

$1.90 ₱119

12.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿661

$5.47 ₱342

264.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿114

$4.22 ₱264

-18.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿376

$7.23 ₱452

56.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.8

$2.68 ₱168

10.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.1

$1.66 ₱104

3.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿77.1

$2.35 ₱147

-1.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿69.0

$1.32 ₱82.8

57.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$2.17 ₱135

-32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.05

$1.93 ₱121

-29.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.45

$0.91 ₱57.2

20.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿19.06

$0.60 ₱37.66

-5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿142

$2.94 ₱184

45.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿611

$7.33 ₱458

151.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$0.84 ₱52.6

122.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.9

$2.26 ₱141

29.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.6

$0.27 ₱16.97

722.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿759

$11.10 ₱694

106.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.83 ₱51.8

265.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.63

$0.26 ₱16.37

311.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿130

$1.95 ₱122

101.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.49

$1.17 ₱73.1

27.35%

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

$27.1K ฿899.8K

$18.3K ₱1.1M

48.18%

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

$27.5K ฿910.6K

$20.0K ₱1.2M

37.59%

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

$103 ฿3,410

$123 ₱7,710

-16.62%

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

$10.99 ฿365

$17.08 ₱1,068

-35.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿581

$25.08 ₱1,568

-30.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,776

$33.69 ₱2,107

58.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

$5.27 ₱329

112.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿248

$4.96 ₱310

50.81%

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

$557 ฿18.5K

$131 ₱8,197

324.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿393.2K

$8,171 ₱511.0K

45.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,125

$30.50 ₱1,907

110.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿964

$20.04 ₱1,253

45.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,183

$70.8 ₱4,426

35.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,997

$52.3 ₱3,269

72.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.2K

$264 ₱16.5K

176.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.6K

$193 ₱12.1K

159.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿69.3K

$463 ₱28.9K

351.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿40.1K

$391 ₱24.5K

209.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿119.3K

$2,651 ₱165.8K

35.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿83.3K

$912 ₱57.0K

175.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.7K

$341 ₱21.3K

47.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Talisay City: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $264 in Talisay City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 47% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Talisay City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $183 per month, with Talisay City 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 Talisay City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Talisay City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 47% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $264 in Talisay City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $131 in Talisay City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $738 in Talisay City versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Talisay City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Talisay City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Talisay City 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 Talisay City 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 Talisay City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.