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 $986 in Tamarin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,676 in Tamarin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,366 in Tamarin.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than Tamarin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tamarin 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.48 MUR 303

-28.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$42.52 MUR 1,989

10.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.44 MUR 255

62.50%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.54 MUR 119

18.11%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.92 MUR 43.19

-19.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.55 MUR 25.79

-32.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.69 MUR 79.2

44.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.80 MUR 84.3

100.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.49 MUR 69.8

51.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.37 MUR 17.13

397.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.26 MUR 59.0

77.78%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.14 MUR 100

8.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$5.59 MUR 262

251.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.04 MUR 282

-39.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.06 MUR 471

30.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.99 MUR 93.2

70.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.02 MUR 94.7

-18.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.43 MUR 66.9

68.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.70 MUR 126

-24.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.01 MUR 47.48

54.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.00 MUR 46.96

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.80 MUR 37.32

27.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.74 MUR 34.77

-33.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$6.41 MUR 300

-30.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$8.81 MUR 412

114.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.74 MUR 81.6

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.70 MUR 79.4

61.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.12 MUR 52.2

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$11.13 MUR 521

3.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.32 MUR 202

-27.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.62 MUR 123

-61.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.73 MUR 315

109.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.25 MUR 58.6

8.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

-5.79%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.4K MUR 1.3M

20.10%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$48.56 MUR 2,272

157.37%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$16.37 MUR 766

-17.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$30.26 MUR 1,416

-38.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$49.33 MUR 2,308

24.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$10.95 MUR 512

53.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.02 MUR 282

52.66%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$150 MUR 7,004

366.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,109 MUR 145.5K

401.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$58.1 MUR 2,716

-0.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$47.77 MUR 2,235

-26.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$86.8 MUR 4,061

30.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$58.1 MUR 2,717

48.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$756 MUR 35.3K

-18.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$386 MUR 18.1K

15.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,426 MUR 66.7K

43.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$921 MUR 43.1K

61.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$861 MUR 40.3K

-39.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-11.17%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tamarin: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $756 in Tamarin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tamarin pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Tamarin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $198 per month, with Tamarin 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 Tamarin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tamarin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tamarin earns 64% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $756 in Tamarin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $150 in Tamarin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $986 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 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.