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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $771 in Talisay City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,190 in Talisay City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,608 in Talisay City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than in Talisay City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Talisay City 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.59 ₱221

26.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$17.81 ₱1,097

159.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$3.34 ₱206

164.67%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.37 ₱146

29.11%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.77 ₱47.62

-5.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.39 ₱24.25

2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.31 ₱80.5

85.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.09 ₱129

80.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.91 ₱118

18.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.27 ₱78.0

42.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.96 ₱58.9

134.38%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.06 ₱127

9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.23 ₱507

137.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.30 ₱265

-15.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.70 ₱474

69.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.88 ₱178

12.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.55 ₱95.3

4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$2.61 ₱161

-8.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.59 ₱98.0

27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.31 ₱142

-33.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.49 ₱154

-39.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.12 ₱68.9

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.77 ₱47.13

-32.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.77 ₱170

60.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.48 ₱461

144.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.16 ₱71.4

60.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$1.96 ₱121

36.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.26 ₱15.83

442.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.81 ₱50.1

283.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.24 ₱14.80

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$2.09 ₱129

575.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.11 ₱68.3

18.02%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$26.6K ₱1.6M

4.75%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.3K ₱1.3M

63.41%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$113 ₱6,933

8.73%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$32.61 ₱2,008

-58.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$28.00 ₱1,724

-33.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$33.66 ₱2,072

79.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$4.47 ₱275

279.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.84 ₱360

55.31%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$150 ₱9,254

369.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,331 ₱266.7K

264.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$45.51 ₱2,802

28.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$26.29 ₱1,619

34.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$75.0 ₱4,619

53.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$54.0 ₱3,326

54.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$265 ₱16.3K

136.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$175 ₱10.8K

153.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$582 ₱35.8K

250.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$394 ₱24.3K

278.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,750 ₱169.3K

26.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$995 ₱61.2K

159.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$346 ₱21.3K

44.36%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Talisay City: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $265 in Talisay City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 44% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Talisay City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $206 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 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $265 in Talisay City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $771 in Talisay City versus $1,250 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 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.