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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $992 in Tamarin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,697 in Tamarin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,402 in Tamarin.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than in Tamarin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Tamarin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$6.59 MUR 309

-32.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$42.54 MUR 1,993

7.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.37 MUR 252

63.13%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.58 MUR 121

15.12%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.92 MUR 42.92

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.61 MUR 28.52

-36.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.62 MUR 75.7

56.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.77 MUR 83.1

111.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.53 MUR 71.9

40.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.37 MUR 17.18

391.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.33 MUR 62.5

63.91%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.18 MUR 102

3.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$5.61 MUR 263

256.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.33 MUR 297

-42.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$9.93 MUR 465

36.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.98 MUR 92.8

63.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.97 MUR 92.3

-16.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.44 MUR 67.5

61.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.71 MUR 127

-23.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.95 MUR 44.64

63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.95 MUR 44.64

53.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.80 MUR 37.69

22.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.81 MUR 37.86

-40.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$6.77 MUR 317

-35.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.47 MUR 397

119.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.80 MUR 84.3

3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.62 MUR 75.7

63.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.12 MUR 52.3

26.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$11.17 MUR 523

3.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$4.30 MUR 202

-26.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.64 MUR 123

-60.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.78 MUR 318

104.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.31 MUR 61.5

2.29%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

-3.75%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$27.5K MUR 1.3M

21.43%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$48.69 MUR 2,281

152.72%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$16.10 MUR 754

-14.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$29.81 MUR 1,396

-38.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$50.5 MUR 2,365

20.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$11.17 MUR 523

53.63%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.16 MUR 289

43.99%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$151 MUR 7,080

355.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,192 MUR 149.5K

394.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$59.1 MUR 2,770

0.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$47.47 MUR 2,223

-26.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$87.8 MUR 4,115

31.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$58.9 MUR 2,757

42.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$756 MUR 35.4K

-17.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$380 MUR 17.8K

17.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,435 MUR 67.2K

41.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$952 MUR 44.6K

57.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$831 MUR 38.9K

-40.63%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tamarin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $756 in Tamarin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tamarin pays 68% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Tamarin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $199 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 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 68% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $756 in Tamarin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $151 in Tamarin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $992 in Tamarin versus $1,264 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.