Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanga: $38.44 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Tanga

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$38.44

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tanga

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 Tanga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $38.44 in Tanga.

Phuket $1,208
Tanga $38.44

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $55.9 in Tanga.

Phuket $2,027
Tanga $55.9

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $73.3 in Tanga.

Phuket $2,845
Tanga $73.3

Living in Phuket is roughly 3043% more expensive than in Tanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Tanga 97% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$1.49 TZS 3,910

195.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$3.46 TZS 9,065

153.18%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$0.55 TZS 1,448

414.55%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.29 TZS 758

210.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.37 TZS 961

27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$0.91 TZS 2,391

180.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$1.14 TZS 2,998

235.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

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

$11.04 ฿369

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

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

$556 ฿18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tanga: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Tanga

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Tanga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Tanga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Tanga

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Tanga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Tanga

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Tanga

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇿 Tanga

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

19:56 7:56 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

393,429

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,944 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Tanga 6,730 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Tanga

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 Tanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tanga is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 3043% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,813 in Phuket and $57.7 in Tanga 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.

At $38.44 in Tanga versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tanga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tanga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tanga 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 Tanga 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 Tanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3043% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.