Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tarlac City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tarlac City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $523 in Tarlac City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $814 in Tarlac City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,104 in Tarlac City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 135% more expensive than in Tarlac City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Tarlac City 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.94 ₱122

127.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$7.78 ₱488

314.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$2.72 ₱171

228.31%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.79 ₱112

62.01%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.49 ₱30.77

79.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.30 ₱18.95

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.02 ₱64.2

130.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.56 ₱97.7

138.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.61 ₱101

16.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.15 ₱71.9

27.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.02 ₱63.9

51.96%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.88 ₱118

11.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$4.94 ₱310

296.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.66 ₱167

28.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$6.11 ₱383

86.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.62 ₱101

83.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.59 ₱99.8

5.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.95 ₱123

13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.04 ₱65.2

107.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.74 ₱109

-12.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.21 ₱76.1

10.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.61 ₱38.25

85.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.50 ₱31.31

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.87 ₱180

48.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$3.81 ₱239

401.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.96 ₱60.3

85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.53 ₱96.1

81.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.25 ₱15.73

792.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$8.21 ₱515

176.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.75 ₱47.32

304.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.25 ₱15.70

308.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.31 ₱82.4

196.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.08 ₱68.0

37.96%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$21.4K ₱1.3M

24.11%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

40.16%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$88.2 ₱5,534

16.13%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$5.44 ₱341

108.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$23.40 ₱1,468

-25.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$40.11 ₱2,516

29.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$16.16 ₱1,014

-31.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.08 ₱319

51.38%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$131 ₱8,205

328.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$10.5K ₱661.4K

9.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$28.77 ₱1,804

119.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$19.79 ₱1,242

49.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$63.1 ₱3,955

55.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$47.80 ₱2,998

85.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$87.7 ₱5,503

741.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$71.1 ₱4,460

578.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$250 ₱15.6K

744.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$167 ₱10.4K

635.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$376 ₱23.6K

863.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$290 ₱18.2K

798.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$215 ₱13.5K

130.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Tarlac City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $87.7 in Tarlac City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 130% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $8.00 in Tarlac City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $148 per month, with Tarlac City 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 Tarlac City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tarlac City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 130% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $87.7 in Tarlac City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $131 in Tarlac City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $523 in Tarlac City versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tarlac City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tarlac City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tarlac City 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 Tarlac City 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 Tarlac City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.