Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tamarisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tamarisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $577 in Tamarisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $926 in Tamarisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,274 in Tamarisi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 117% more expensive than in Tamarisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Tamarisi 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$10.03 ₾26.16

-54.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$30.91 ₾80.6

5.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$10.44 ₾27.22

-14.75%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.97 ₾5.14

42.13%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.76 ₾1.98

15.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.51 ₾1.32

-3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.26 ₾3.29

89.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$1.96 ₾5.12

89.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.82 ₾4.74

-1.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.50 ₾1.30

188.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.25 ₾3.26

26.40%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.29 ₾5.98

-6.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$6.02 ₾15.71

230.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.93 ₾12.86

-30.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$10.44 ₾27.23

8.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$1.20 ₾3.14

145.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.55 ₾4.03

10.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.50 ₾3.91

54.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.74 ₾4.54

19.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.77 ₾2.00

90.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.69 ₾1.81

97.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.28 ₾3.33

-14.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.67 ₾1.76

-14.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.06 ₾7.97

39.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$3.81 ₾9.95

383.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.64 ₾4.29

14.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.62 ₾6.84

11.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.75 ₾1.96

304.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.76 ₾1.98

40.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$5.82 ₾15.18

-32.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.23 ₾3.22

21.14%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$22.9K ₾59.7K

18.43%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$22.8K ₾59.6K

20.21%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$75.9 ₾198

35.42%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$8.84 ₾23.06

24.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$15.08 ₾39.33

16.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$4.77 ₾12.44

56.81%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$128 ₾333

335.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$2,643 ₾6,893

348.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$57.0 ₾149

12.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$39.62 ₾103

-26.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$97.4 ₾254

-1.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$85.7 ₾223

5.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

15.67

-64.45%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Tamarisi: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Tamarisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $179 per month, with Tamarisi 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 Tamarisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tamarisi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 117% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $866 in Tamarisi 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.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $128 in Tamarisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tamarisi – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $577 in Tamarisi versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tamarisi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tamarisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tamarisi 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 Tamarisi 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 Tamarisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.