Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tartus Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tartus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $637 in Tartus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $990 in Tartus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,344 in Tartus.

Living in Phuket is roughly 93% more expensive than in Tartus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Tartus 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.01 SYP 1,217

-55.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$45.16 SYP 5,487

-28.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$6.95 SYP 844

28.49%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$3.60 SYP 438

-19.44%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$2.29 SYP 279

-61.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.81 SYP 98.9

-40.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.94 SYP 236

21.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.95 SYP 359

26.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$0.48 SYP 58.7

289.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$0.41 SYP 50.2

258.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.78 SYP 95.3

98.72%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$0.86 SYP 104

144.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$3.83 SYP 466

411.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.07 SYP 372

11.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$13.56 SYP 1,647

-16.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$1.03 SYP 125

189.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.38 SYP 167

21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.09 SYP 132

102.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$0.22 SYP 26.60

881.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.22 SYP 26.60

590.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.30 SYP 36.32

346.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.40 SYP 48.53

182.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.61 SYP 74.6

-9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.74 SYP 333

55.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$6.03 SYP 732

216.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.10 SYP 134

61.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.85 SYP 347

-2.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.32 SYP 39.34

596.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.99 SYP 120

206.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$1.48 SYP 180

-31.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$7.76 SYP 942

-49.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$3.65 SYP 443

-59.18%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$15.0K SYP 1.8M

77.05%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$18.8K SYP 2.3M

43.96%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$142 SYP 17.2K

-27.58%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$9.67 SYP 1,175

17.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$19.64 SYP 2,386

-11.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$5.80 SYP 704

797.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.45 SYP 663

41.10%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$9.56 SYP 1,161

5764.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$1,801 SYP 218.8K

538.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$11.69 SYP 1,420

439.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$39.82 SYP 4,838

-25.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$45.71 SYP 5,554

114.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$15.29 SYP 1,857

478.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$114 SYP 13.9K

546.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$76.3 SYP 9,268

532.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$233 SYP 28.4K

802.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$115 SYP 13.9K

970.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$50.7 SYP 6,164

872.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

14.25

-60.91%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Tartus: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $114 in Tartus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 873% 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 $45.00 in Tartus. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $135, with Tartus cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tartus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tartus is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 873% 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 $114 in Tartus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $9.56 in Tartus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tartus – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $637 in Tartus versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tartus but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tartus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tartus 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 Tartus 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 Tartus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.