Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tapa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tapa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,068 in Tapa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,672 in Tapa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,276 in Tapa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 15% more expensive than Tapa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tapa 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$17.02 €14.57

-72.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$69.2 €59.3

-32.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.80 €8.39

-9.80%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.69 €3.16

-18.70%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$2.54 €2.18

-70.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.72 €2.33

-86.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$5.34 €4.57

-54.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$5.85 €5.00

-38.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.30 €1.12

73.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.55 €1.32

18.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.38 €2.04

-5.88%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.82 €2.41

-17.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$12.61 €10.79

55.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$8.81 €7.54

-58.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.24 €9.62

16.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.90 €1.62

78.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.63 €1.40

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.39 €2.05

0.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.49 €2.13

-18.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.01 €0.86

54.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.15 €0.99

30.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.08 €1.78

-50.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.06 €0.91

-53.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$6.46 €5.53

-31.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.96 €9.38

72.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.03 €1.74

-12.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.18 €1.86

26.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.26 €2.79

-4.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.69 €0.59

44.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$20.42 €17.48

-31.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.92 €1.64

-29.69%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$29.5K €25.2K

-7.78%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$31.1K €26.6K

5.77%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$272 €233

-54.07%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$22.36 €19.14

-39.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$36.04 €30.85

-48.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$11.37 €9.73

-19.17%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$117 €100

496.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$8,312 €7,115

87.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$122 €104

-52.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$40.13 €34.35

-12.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$98.3 €84.2

15.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$107 €91.8

-19.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.3

23.95%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tapa: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $69.0 in Tapa. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $269, with Tapa 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 Tapa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tapa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,602 in Tapa 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.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $117 in Tapa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tapa – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,068 in Tapa versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tapa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tapa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tapa 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 Tapa 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 Tapa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.