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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,000 in Tamási.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,543 in Tamási.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,087 in Tamási.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.79 Ft 2,431

-40.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$45.15 Ft 14.1K

3.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.73 Ft 1,787

54.28%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.06 Ft 641

45.63%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.50 Ft 468

-50.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.43 Ft 448

-74.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.33 Ft 728

4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.13 Ft 664

69.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.09 Ft 340

107.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.54 Ft 479

19.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.16 Ft 363

93.10%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.02 Ft 630

14.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.02 Ft 2,503

145.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.47 Ft 1,707

-33.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.45 Ft 3,571

14.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.41 Ft 439

140.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.42 Ft 442

15.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.74 Ft 542

38.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.84 Ft 887

-28.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.97 Ft 301

60.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.19 Ft 372

26.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.37 Ft 427

-25.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.47 Ft 148

4.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$6.45 Ft 2,012

-31.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.16 Ft 1,299

353.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.01 Ft 315

76.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.47 Ft 459

87.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.17 Ft 364

19.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$25.00 Ft 7,799

-54.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.90 Ft 904

7.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.31 Ft 410

-23.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$17.59 Ft 5,487

-19.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.76 Ft 548

-23.30%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$25.8K Ft 8.1M

5.34%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.1K Ft 7.8M

31.09%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$104 Ft 32.5K

19.86%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$25.14 Ft 7,845

-46.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$13.18 Ft 4,114

40.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$46.19 Ft 14.4K

33.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$17.10 Ft 5,335

-1.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.04 Ft 2,195

30.54%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$225 Ft 70.1K

210.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,270 Ft 2.0M

148.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$84.1 Ft 26.3K

-31.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$29.30 Ft 9,142

20.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$69.8 Ft 21.8K

61.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$56.6 Ft 17.6K

52.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$440 Ft 137.2K

40.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$347 Ft 108.2K

28.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$645 Ft 201.2K

217.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$528 Ft 164.7K

182.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$3,226 Ft 1.0M

17.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$2,774 Ft 865.6K

-4.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,253 Ft 390.9K

-58.20%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tamási: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $440 in Tamási. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tamási pays 139% 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 $45.00 in Tamási for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $194 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 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tamási earns 139% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $440 in Tamási. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $225 in Tamási. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,000 in Tamási versus $1,232 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 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.