Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tamarin Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tamarin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $955 in Tamarin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,638 in Tamarin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,321 in Tamarin.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Tamarin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Tamarin 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$5.74 MUR 273

-23.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$38.06 MUR 1,808

-15.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.15 MUR 340

24.90%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.62 MUR 125

10.69%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.15 MUR 54.4

-23.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.66 MUR 31.15

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$2.72 MUR 129

-13.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.74 MUR 82.8

113.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.49 MUR 70.6

25.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$0.20 MUR 9.50

635.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.16 MUR 55.2

33.62%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.41 MUR 114

-12.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$3.88 MUR 185

404.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.20 MUR 295

-44.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$11.24 MUR 534

1.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$2.23 MUR 106

33.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$2.19 MUR 104

-23.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.46 MUR 69.2

51.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$2.92 MUR 139

-26.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.95 MUR 45.19

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$1.01 MUR 47.97

32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$0.74 MUR 35.23

52.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.83 MUR 39.54

-33.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.13 MUR 291

-30.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.33 MUR 396

129.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.62 MUR 77.0

9.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$1.87 MUR 88.9

48.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.83 MUR 39.33

168.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$4.27 MUR 203

-29.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$3.20 MUR 152

-68.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$6.40 MUR 304

-39.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.33 MUR 62.9

12.03%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$29.7K MUR 1.4M

-10.39%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$31.7K MUR 1.5M

-14.75%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$45.05 MUR 2,140

127.46%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$10.74 MUR 510

5.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$28.92 MUR 1,374

-39.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$42.04 MUR 1,997

23.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$6.42 MUR 305

19.78%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$130 MUR 6,157

332.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$3,114 MUR 147.9K

269.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$55.9 MUR 2,657

12.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$45.81 MUR 2,176

-35.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$85.6 MUR 4,065

14.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$59.1 MUR 2,805

49.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$754 MUR 35.8K

-2.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$368 MUR 17.5K

30.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$1,400 MUR 66.5K

50.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$907 MUR 43.1K

35.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$844 MUR 40.1K

-41.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.67

-16.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Tamarin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $754 in Tamarin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tamarin pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Tamarin. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $199, with Tamarin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tamarin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tamarin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Tamarin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $754 in Tamarin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $130 in Tamarin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tamarin – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $955 in Tamarin versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tamarin but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tamarin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tamarin 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 Tamarin 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 Tamarin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.