Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tarnow Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tarnow

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,224 in Tarnow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,704 in Tarnow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,185 in Tarnow.

Living in Phuket is roughly 2% more expensive than in Tarnow, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Tarnow 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$10.59 zł 39.34

-56.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$26.48 zł 98.3

23.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$6.71 zł 24.92

32.64%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.64 zł 9.82

6.06%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$2.25 zł 8.36

-60.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$1.31 zł 4.86

-62.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$4.15 zł 15.40

-42.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.98 zł 14.79

-6.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$0.98 zł 3.64

82.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.22 zł 4.54

18.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.35 zł 5.02

17.04%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.65 zł 9.85

-19.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$8.12 zł 30.17

145.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$6.22 zł 23.09

-44.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$10.19 zł 37.83

11.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$0.79 zł 2.95

273.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.57 zł 5.81

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.36 zł 5.06

70.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.00 zł 7.41

4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.79 zł 2.94

86.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$1.10 zł 4.07

23.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.04 zł 3.87

5.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.79 zł 2.95

-27.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.44 zł 16.48

-3.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$6.54 zł 24.28

181.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.95 zł 3.53

96.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.46 zł 5.42

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.99 zł 3.69

124.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$31.60 zł 117

-27.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.35 zł 5.02

124.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.77 zł 2.85

38.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$10.79 zł 40.06

-63.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.58 zł 5.87

-5.70%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$32.0K zł 119.0K

-15.32%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$25.7K zł 95.4K

6.84%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$252 zł 937

-59.27%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$9.85 zł 36.58

11.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$17.19 zł 63.8

1.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$26.33 zł 97.8

103.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$11.99 zł 44.52

-6.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$4.89 zł 18.16

52.97%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$297 zł 1,103

87.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$2,616 zł 9,716

353.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$83.2 zł 309

-22.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$26.53 zł 98.6

9.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$79.7 zł 296

20.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$116 zł 431

-22.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$454 zł 1,688

60.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$363 zł 1,348

37.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$640 zł 2,378

226.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$488 zł 1,813

147.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,785 zł 10.3K

29.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,832 zł 6,806

37.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$1,071 zł 3,980

-53.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.68

-16.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Tarnow: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $454 in Tarnow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tarnow pays 113% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Tarnow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $192 per month, with Tarnow 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 Tarnow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tarnow is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 113% lower in Tarnow. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $454 in Tarnow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $297 in Tarnow. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,224 in Tarnow versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tarnow but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tarnow the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tarnow 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 Tarnow 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 Tarnow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.