Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tamale

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamale: $144 a month against $1,190 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Tamale

🇬🇭 Ghana

$144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tamale

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Tamale actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $144 in Tamale.

Phuket $1,190
Tamale $144

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $217 in Tamale.

Phuket $2,006
Tamale $217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $289 in Tamale.

Phuket $2,822
Tamale $289

Living in Phuket is roughly 724% more expensive than in Tamale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Tamale 89% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$3.35 GHS 39.39

29.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$10.23 GHS 120

-17.69%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$0.88 GHS 10.34

-1.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$0.41 GHS 4.83

12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$0.89 GHS 10.42

191.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$1.32 GHS 15.53

175.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$3.04 GHS 35.77

-43.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$1.72 GHS 20.17

-15.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$3.85 GHS 45.29

-59.48%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.25 GHS 14.71

39.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$0.82 GHS 9.69

164.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

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

$11.41 ฿382

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

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

$555 ฿18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$8,668 GHS 101.9K

30.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Tamale: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Tamale

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Tamale

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Tamale

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Tamale

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Tamale

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Tamale

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Tamale

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇬🇭 Tamale

🕒 Local time

15:57 3:57 PM

08:57 8:57 AM

7 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

950,124

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 GHS = 8.51 USD

100 GHS = 7.59 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.75 GHS (100 GHS = 8.51 USD). 1 EUR = 13.18 GHS (100 GHS = 7.59 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Tamale 10,870 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Tamale

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tamale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tamale is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 724% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,785 in Phuket and $217 in Tamale 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 287% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,190 per month in Phuket versus $144 in Tamale – a 724% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $144 in Tamale versus $1,190 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tamale but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tamale the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tamale 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 Tamale 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 Tamale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 724% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.