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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,024 in Tamarin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,710 in Tamarin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,396 in Tamarin.

Living in Phuket is roughly 23% more expensive than Tamarin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tamarin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$6.47 MUR 304

-29.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$41.92 MUR 1,974

11.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.51 MUR 260

53.72%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.58 MUR 122

17.44%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.84 MUR 39.63

-17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.59 MUR 27.92

-37.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.69 MUR 79.7

47.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.73 MUR 81.7

111.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.49 MUR 70.0

46.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.40 MUR 18.77

375.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.31 MUR 61.8

67.94%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.11 MUR 99.5

5.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$5.35 MUR 252

273.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.24 MUR 294

-41.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$9.62 MUR 453

37.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.07 MUR 97.6

56.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.97 MUR 92.7

-13.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.46 MUR 68.7

63.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.67 MUR 126

-22.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.02 MUR 48.09

55.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.98 MUR 46.33

51.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.78 MUR 36.82

32.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.81 MUR 37.96

-35.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$6.49 MUR 306

-34.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.44 MUR 397

122.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.71 MUR 80.5

2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.62 MUR 76.1

70.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.18 MUR 55.5

15.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$10.99 MUR 517

3.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$4.47 MUR 211

-29.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.74 MUR 129

-62.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.69 MUR 315

105.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.31 MUR 61.6

2.29%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

-2.29%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$27.4K MUR 1.3M

23.74%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$49.29 MUR 2,321

150.74%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$16.05 MUR 756

-15.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$30.43 MUR 1,433

-38.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$50.9 MUR 2,396

21.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$11.10 MUR 523

55.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.12 MUR 288

49.35%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$153 MUR 7,186

360.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$3,115 MUR 146.7K

409.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$59.2 MUR 2,789

0.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$47.35 MUR 2,230

-25.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$87.1 MUR 4,103

32.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$59.3 MUR 2,794

41.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$781 MUR 36.8K

-20.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$388 MUR 18.3K

11.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,452 MUR 68.4K

42.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$925 MUR 43.6K

63.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$851 MUR 40.1K

-40.42%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tamarin: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $781 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Tamarin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $196 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 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tamarin earns 68% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $781 in Tamarin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $153 in Tamarin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,024 in Tamarin versus $1,261 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 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.