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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,002 in Tamási.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,545 in Tamási.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,088 in Tamási.

Living in Phuket is roughly 22% more expensive than in Tamási, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tamási 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$7.41 Ft 2,279

-39.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$45.91 Ft 14.1K

1.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$5.84 Ft 1,796

45.38%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$2.05 Ft 629

50.24%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$1.43 Ft 439

-52.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$1.42 Ft 436

-74.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$2.27 Ft 699

7.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.20 Ft 677

65.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.03 Ft 316

112.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$1.61 Ft 496

12.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.17 Ft 359

90.60%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$2.13 Ft 655

5.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$7.97 Ft 2,451

145.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.48 Ft 1,684

-32.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$11.56 Ft 3,554

16.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$1.42 Ft 436

136.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.43 Ft 438

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.68 Ft 518

43.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$2.87 Ft 884

-30.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$0.88 Ft 269

73.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$1.15 Ft 352

26.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$1.39 Ft 428

-27.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.48 Ft 148

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$6.44 Ft 1,981

-33.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$4.42 Ft 1,358

332.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$1.02 Ft 313

80.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$1.48 Ft 456

85.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$1.14 Ft 350

24.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$25.25 Ft 7,765

-53.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.87 Ft 882

4.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$1.32 Ft 407

-20.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$17.07 Ft 5,249

-18.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.75 Ft 537

-26.29%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$25.9K Ft 8.0M

8.21%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$26.1K Ft 8.0M

28.37%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$102 Ft 31.4K

19.32%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$24.75 Ft 7,611

-43.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$13.33 Ft 4,099

41.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$46.11 Ft 14.2K

32.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$16.61 Ft 5,106

1.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$7.24 Ft 2,226

22.79%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$221 Ft 68.0K

212.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$6,216 Ft 1.9M

159.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$84.2 Ft 25.9K

-31.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$30.08 Ft 9,249

17.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$69.6 Ft 21.4K

63.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$56.2 Ft 17.3K

47.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$438 Ft 134.6K

38.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$351 Ft 108.1K

27.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$624 Ft 191.7K

225.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$535 Ft 164.4K

179.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$3,082 Ft 947.7K

16.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$2,116 Ft 650.5K

22.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$1,301 Ft 400.1K

-61.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.85

-8.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Tamási: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $438 in Tamási. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tamási pays 158% 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 $46.00 in Tamási for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $195 per month, with Tamási 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 Tamási: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tamási is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 158% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $438 in Tamási. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $221 in Tamási. 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 $1,002 in Tamási versus $1,223 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 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.