Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tamási Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tamási

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,174 in Tamási.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,815 in Tamási.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $2,457 in Tamási.

Living in Phuket is roughly 7% more expensive than in Tamási, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tamási 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$10.01 Ft 3,120

-55.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$62.5 Ft 19.5K

-43.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$9.51 Ft 2,966

-5.78%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.43 Ft 758

23.46%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.53 Ft 477

-49.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$1.38 Ft 432

-65.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.21 Ft 690

8.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$2.34 Ft 731

60.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.07 Ft 332

70.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$1.43 Ft 445

-0.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.30 Ft 406

19.23%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.25 Ft 701

-5.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$10.10 Ft 3,150

95.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$6.28 Ft 1,958

-44.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$12.74 Ft 3,971

-12.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$1.49 Ft 466

95.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.63 Ft 507

1.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.89 Ft 591

20.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$3.05 Ft 951

-31.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$1.03 Ft 322

42.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$1.12 Ft 348

25.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.63 Ft 509

-33.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.52 Ft 163

3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$6.84 Ft 2,132

-34.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$4.15 Ft 1,295

351.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.16 Ft 360

58.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$1.60 Ft 499

84.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$1.29 Ft 403

75.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$28.38 Ft 8,849

-18.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$3.19 Ft 995

-4.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$1.77 Ft 553

-38.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$19.45 Ft 6,066

-80.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.91 Ft 596

-21.99%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$28.1K Ft 8.8M

-2.52%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$38.5K Ft 12.0M

-28.55%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$126 Ft 39.3K

-19.22%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$22.30 Ft 6,954

-49.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$16.86 Ft 5,257

5.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$48.35 Ft 15.1K

12.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$20.73 Ft 6,462

-47.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$7.74 Ft 2,414

1.42%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$263 Ft 81.9K

119.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$6,917 Ft 2.2M

68.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$91.2 Ft 28.4K

-28.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$34.00 Ft 10.6K

-15.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$77.3 Ft 24.1K

28.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$63.0 Ft 19.7K

43.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$533 Ft 166.1K

41.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$408 Ft 127.2K

19.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$754 Ft 235.0K

176.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$664 Ft 207.1K

81.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$3,394 Ft 1.1M

5.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$2,169 Ft 676.4K

20.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$1,232 Ft 384.0K

-59.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.67

-16.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Tamási: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $533 in Tamási. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tamási pays 145% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $62.0 in Tamási. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $215, with Tamási cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tamási: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tamási is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 145% lower in Tamási. 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: $756 in Phuket versus $533 in Tamási. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $263 in Tamási. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,174 in Tamási versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tamási but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tamási the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tamási 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 Tamási 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 Tamási gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.