Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tamarisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamarisi: $575 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Tamarisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$575
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tamarisi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Tamarisi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $575 in Tamarisi.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Tamarisi $575

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $938 in Tamarisi.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Tamarisi $938

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,302 in Tamarisi.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Tamarisi $1,302

Living in Phuket is roughly 110% more expensive than in Tamarisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Tamarisi 58% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Tamarisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿147
$10.16 ₾26.30
-56.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,078
$30.37 ₾78.6
6.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿293
$10.83 ₾28.02
-19.11%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿94.5
$2.05 ₾5.32
38.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.14
$0.82 ₾2.13
9.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.56
$0.55 ₾1.43
-14.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿85.2
$1.22 ₾3.15
109.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$1.91 ₾4.95
100.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Tamarisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$1.75 ₾4.53
-1.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.11
$0.51 ₾1.31
188.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$1.28 ₾3.30
17.97%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$2.29 ₾5.92
-5.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿658
$6.17 ₾15.98
219.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿112
$4.82 ₾12.48
-30.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿373
$10.55 ₾27.30
5.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿95.1
$1.19 ₾3.09
139.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿56.9
$1.54 ₾3.99
10.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.3
$1.49 ₾3.86
46.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.4
$1.78 ₾4.61
15.17%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿48.57
$0.77 ₾2.00
88.31%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.16
$0.67 ₾1.73
105.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.69
$1.22 ₾3.15
-12.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.91
$0.69 ₾1.78
-26.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$3.01 ₾7.79
41.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿621
$3.93 ₾10.16
372.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿59.7
$1.63 ₾4.22
9.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.2
$2.50 ₾6.48
14.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Tamarisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿75.6
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿738
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿101
$0.75 ₾1.94
301.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.34
$0.74 ₾1.91
43.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿129
$5.88 ₾15.21
-34.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.45
$1.28 ₾3.32
13.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.9K
$22.9K ₾59.3K
14.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿900.4K
$22.2K ₾57.5K
21.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Tamarisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,221
$77.9 ₾202
23.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿369
$8.62 ₾22.33
28.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿573
$14.84 ₾38.42
15.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Tamarisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,744
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿373
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿261
$4.94 ₾12.79
58.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Tamarisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.6K
$128 ₾331
335.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿387.0K
$2,719 ₾7,038
325.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Tamarisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,146
$56.5 ₾146
13.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿959
$39.57 ₾102
-27.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,187
$97.5 ₾252
-2.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,940
$87.1 ₾226
0.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Tamarisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.5K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿116.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿84.3K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Tamarisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.7K
-
-
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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tamarisi: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Tamarisi
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Tamarisi
$179 33.4% $90
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Tamarisi
$101 18.6% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Tamarisi
$126 1.6% $2
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Tamarisi
$154 26.9% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Tamarisi
$9.9 * 85.4% $58
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Tamarisi
$4.4 * 88.8% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Tamarisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $179 per month, with Tamarisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇬🇪 Tamarisi
🕒 Local time
17:50 5:50 PM
14:50 2:50 PM
3 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
1,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Tamarisi 6,440 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Tamarisi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Is Tamarisi cheaper than Phuket?
Tamarisi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,813 in Phuket and $862 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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $128 in Tamarisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Tamarisi?
Dining out is cheaper in Tamarisi – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Tamarisi?
At $575 in Tamarisi versus $1,208 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.
Is Phuket or Tamarisi more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Tamarisi?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Tamarisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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