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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $788 in Talisay City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,204 in Talisay City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,620 in Talisay City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than Talisay City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Talisay City 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.48 ₱214

35.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$17.85 ₱1,101

154.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.30 ₱203

155.45%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.38 ₱147

23.11%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.83 ₱50.9

-16.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.37 ₱22.67

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.35 ₱83.3

78.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.18 ₱134

70.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.82 ₱112

22.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.21 ₱74.9

51.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.01 ₱62.4

114.85%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.05 ₱127

7.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.89 ₱486

150.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.36 ₱269

-16.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.79 ₱481

73.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.87 ₱177

14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.53 ₱94.3

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.60 ₱160

-7.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.61 ₱99.1

29.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.21 ₱136

-30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.53 ₱156

-41.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.07 ₱66.0

-7.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.77 ₱47.75

-33.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.78 ₱172

58.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.28 ₱449

166.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.15 ₱71.0

54.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.99 ₱123

36.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.26 ₱15.86

426.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.82 ₱50.3

268.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.24 ₱14.86

312.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.16 ₱133

552.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.15 ₱71.1

18.26%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$26.4K ₱1.6M

6.93%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.4K ₱1.3M

61.03%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$111 ₱6,870

9.23%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$32.62 ₱2,011

-58.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$27.26 ₱1,681

-32.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$33.66 ₱2,076

78.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.30 ₱265

298.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.83 ₱360

49.06%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$150 ₱9,236

362.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,313 ₱265.9K

263.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$46.54 ₱2,870

27.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$26.64 ₱1,643

30.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$75.2 ₱4,638

52.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$53.8 ₱3,320

54.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$269 ₱16.6K

128.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$176 ₱10.9K

148.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$584 ₱36.0K

258.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$397 ₱24.5K

280.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,307 ₱142.3K

62.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$942 ₱58.1K

177.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$335 ₱20.6K

51.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Talisay City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $269 in Talisay City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 52% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Talisay City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $203 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 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 52% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $269 in Talisay City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $150 in Talisay City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Talisay City – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $788 in Talisay City versus $1,265 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 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.