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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $621 in Tarlac City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $954 in Tarlac City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,286 in Tarlac City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 104% more expensive than Tarlac City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tarlac City 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.70 ₱166

74.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$14.96 ₱922

203.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.51 ₱216

140.17%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.57 ₱96.7

86.62%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.87 ₱53.4

-20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.26 ₱15.95

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.99 ₱60.8

143.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.72 ₱106

116.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.66 ₱103

34.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.54 ₱95.3

18.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.98 ₱60.7

121.43%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.02 ₱124

9.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.07 ₱560

117.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.21 ₱198

13.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$5.91 ₱365

128.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.89 ₱178

13.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.62 ₱99.6

-0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.15 ₱132

12.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.52 ₱94.0

36.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.45 ₱89.2

5.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.18 ₱72.9

25.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.92 ₱56.9

7.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.90 ₱55.4

-43.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.78 ₱171

58.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$3.76 ₱232

415.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.83 ₱50.9

114.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.56 ₱96.5

73.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.28 ₱17.30

389.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$7.93 ₱489

43.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.84 ₱51.7

259.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.22 ₱13.50

350.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.11 ₱130

568.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.15 ₱71.0

18.26%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$28.6K ₱1.8M

-1.46%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.7K ₱1.2M

67.00%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$101 ₱6,199

21.06%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$15.85 ₱977

-14.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$26.78 ₱1,651

-31.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$44.51 ₱2,745

35.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$17.48 ₱1,078

-1.95%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.27 ₱387

38.60%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$170 ₱10.5K

307.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$14.0K ₱866.1K

11.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$46.32 ₱2,856

28.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$26.53 ₱1,636

31.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$50.4 ₱3,109

127.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$37.32 ₱2,301

123.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$131 ₱8,057

369.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$103 ₱6,333

325.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$268 ₱16.5K

680.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$176 ₱10.9K

756.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$372 ₱23.0K

907.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$294 ₱18.1K

790.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$212 ₱13.1K

139.54%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tarlac City: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $131 in Tarlac City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 140% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $15.00 in Tarlac City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 140% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $131 in Tarlac City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 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 61% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $621 in Tarlac City versus $1,265 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 104% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.