Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tarhuna Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tarhuna

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $384 in Tarhuna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $578 in Tarhuna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $772 in Tarhuna.

Living in Phuket is roughly 230% more expensive than Tarhuna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tarhuna 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.49 LYD 28.54

4.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$18.08 LYD 115

150.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.64 LYD 23.15

131.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.53 LYD 3.39

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 LYD 4.58

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$0.49 LYD 3.10

497.96%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.45 LYD 2.89

53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.12 LYD 0.75

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.02 LYD 6.50

118.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.21 LYD 1.33

771.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.19 LYD 7.59

82.35%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.48 LYD 9.44

49.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$4.87 LYD 30.96

305.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.30 LYD 21.02

10.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.27 LYD 65.3

31.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.12 LYD 13.45

54.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.34 LYD 8.50

20.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.76 LYD 4.86

217.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.57 LYD 3.60

264.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.65 LYD 4.14

135.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.52 LYD 3.34

184.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.42 LYD 2.66

135.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.20 LYD 1.27

155.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.24 LYD 7.89

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 LYD 4.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 LYD 4.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.86 LYD 11.80

137.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.96 LYD 6.11

214.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.86 LYD 5.44

15.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.72 LYD 30.03

198.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.03 LYD 0.20

4433.33%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$13.9K LYD 88.1K

103.53%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.2K LYD 103.2K

102.79%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$32.24 LYD 205

277.48%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$8.04 LYD 51.1

68.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$22.74 LYD 145

-19.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.47 LYD 28.44

94.41%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$53.2 LYD 339

1202.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$913 LYD 5,805

1618.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$21.46 LYD 136

177.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$35.02 LYD 223

-0.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$50.2 LYD 319

128.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$55.0 LYD 349

51.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$91.8 LYD 584

568.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$63.4 LYD 403

589.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

17.5

-69.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tarhuna: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $91.8 in Tarhuna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Tarhuna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $117 per month, with Tarhuna 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 Tarhuna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tarhuna is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 230% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $576 in Tarhuna 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $91.8 in Tarhuna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $53.2 in Tarhuna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tarhuna – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $384 in Tarhuna versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tarhuna but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tarhuna the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tarhuna 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 Tarhuna 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 Tarhuna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 230% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.