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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $631 in Tarlac City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $948 in Tarlac City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,266 in Tarlac City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 98% more expensive than in Tarlac City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tarlac City 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.64 ₱163

72.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$15.13 ₱933

205.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$3.65 ₱225

142.19%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.63 ₱101

87.73%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.88 ₱54.1

-17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.26 ₱15.90

53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$0.96 ₱59.2

153.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.76 ₱108

114.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.63 ₱101

38.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.47 ₱90.6

23.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.99 ₱61.0

127.27%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.05 ₱126

9.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.11 ₱562

114.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.23 ₱199

13.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.14 ₱379

112.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.90 ₱179

11.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.61 ₱99.1

0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.10 ₱129

13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.52 ₱94.0

33.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.37 ₱84.4

11.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.13 ₱69.4

32.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.92 ₱56.8

6.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.88 ₱54.4

-40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.87 ₱177

54.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$3.88 ₱240

372.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.77 ₱47.24

141.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.52 ₱93.8

76.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.26 ₱15.88

442.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$8.14 ₱502

43.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.79 ₱48.65

293.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.24 ₱14.83

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.11 ₱130

568.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.17 ₱72.3

11.97%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$28.8K ₱1.8M

-3.36%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

70.15%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$99.5 ₱6,139

23.01%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$15.93 ₱982

-14.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$26.64 ₱1,643

-29.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$44.72 ₱2,758

35.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$17.70 ₱1,092

-4.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.28 ₱387

44.43%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$170 ₱10.5K

316.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$14.4K ₱885.6K

10.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$45.07 ₱2,780

29.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$26.21 ₱1,617

34.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$51.8 ₱3,194

122.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$37.47 ₱2,311

123.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$128 ₱7,895

388.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$100 ₱6,180

344.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$262 ₱16.1K

679.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$174 ₱10.7K

758.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$375 ₱23.1K

828.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$305 ₱18.8K

745.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$213 ₱13.1K

135.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.17

-13.61%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tarlac City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $128 in Tarlac City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 135% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $15.00 in Tarlac City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $181 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 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 135% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $128 in Tarlac City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $170 in Tarlac City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $631 in Tarlac City versus $1,250 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 98% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.