Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tarija Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tarija

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $760 in Tarija.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $986 in Tarija.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,213 in Tarija.

Living in Phuket is roughly 66% more expensive than Tarija, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tarija 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.65 BOB 25.05

28.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$14.33 BOB 98.3

216.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.21 BOB 42.63

35.75%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.39 BOB 16.36

22.59%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.47 BOB 10.09

-53.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.04 BOB 7.16

-64.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.57 BOB 10.80

53.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.21 BOB 15.15

68.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.76 BOB 5.23

193.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.37 BOB 9.41

33.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.18 BOB 8.12

83.90%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.53 BOB 17.36

-12.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$4.88 BOB 33.47

304.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.15 BOB 35.30

-29.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.18 BOB 42.36

118.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.43 BOB 9.80

129.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.34 BOB 9.21

20.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.06 BOB 7.26

127.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.19 BOB 15.04

-5.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.47 BOB 10.12

4.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.49 BOB 10.22

-0.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.33 BOB 2.25

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.33 BOB 9.16

-61.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.84 BOB 19.49

55.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$3.73 BOB 25.56

419.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.90 BOB 13.03

-6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.95 BOB 13.39

38.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.30 BOB 2.07

356.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$31.10 BOB 213

-63.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.07 BOB 7.35

182.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.19 BOB 8.16

-16.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.67 BOB 32.02

201.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.55 BOB 3.75

147.27%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$19.6K BOB 134.5K

43.80%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.6K BOB 148.3K

52.22%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$49.85 BOB 342

144.13%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$27.50 BOB 189

-50.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$42.07 BOB 289

-56.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$34.97 BOB 240

72.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.44 BOB 30.44

286.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.33 BOB 50.3

18.55%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$62.2 BOB 427

1014.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,306 BOB 8,956

1101.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$25.15 BOB 173

136.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$29.52 BOB 203

17.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$40.55 BOB 278

182.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$21.89 BOB 150

280.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$326 BOB 2,237

88.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$226 BOB 1,548

93.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$513 BOB 3,519

308.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$115 BOB 790

1210.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.5

-3.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tarija: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $326 in Tarija. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Tarija for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $171 per month, with Tarija 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 Tarija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tarija is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,140 in Tarija 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 $326 in Tarija. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $62.2 in Tarija. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $760 in Tarija versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tarija but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tarija the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tarija 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 Tarija 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 Tarija gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.