Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tay Ninh

For one person, living is cheaper in Tay Ninh: $437 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Tay Ninh
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Tay Ninh Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Tay Ninh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$437

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tay Ninh

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Tay Ninh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $437 in Tay Ninh.

Phuket $1,278
Tay Ninh $437

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $712 in Tay Ninh.

Phuket $2,216
Tay Ninh $712

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $987 in Tay Ninh.

Phuket $3,154
Tay Ninh $987

Living in Phuket is roughly 192% more expensive than in Tay Ninh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tay Ninh 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.25 ₫32.2K

257.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$11.46 ₫296.0K

182.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.88 ₫100.3K

127.06%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$0.87 ₫22.4K

225.29%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.55 ₫14.3K

58.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.35 ₫8,912

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$0.83 ₫21.5K

208.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.03 ₫26.6K

257.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.23 ₫31.7K

34.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.70 ₫18.2K

108.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.74 ₫19.0K

102.70%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.30 ₫33.5K

60.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$12.07 ₫311.7K

58.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.95 ₫50.4K

69.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.98 ₫180.4K

56.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$1.79 ₫46.1K

63.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$0.80 ₫20.6K

111.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.79 ₫20.5K

184.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.16 ₫30.1K

79.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.19 ₫30.7K

26.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.14 ₫29.4K

21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.60 ₫15.6K

78.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.50 ₫13.0K

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.16 ₫30.0K

262.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$6.53 ₫168.8K

187.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.80 ₫20.8K

127.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.03 ₫26.5K

175.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.37 ₫9,471

291.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$6.51 ₫168.1K

770.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.19 ₫4,979

1489.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.62 ₫16.1K

64.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$3.14 ₫81.1K

17.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.76 ₫19.6K

93.42%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$31.1K ₫804.5M

-14.02%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$29.0K ₫748.7M

-7.91%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$30.13 ₫778.3K

219.78%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$5.94 ₫153.4K

89.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$6.99 ₫180.4K

141.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$24.63 ₫636.2K

172.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$7.50 ₫193.7K

43.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.53 ₫91.2K

112.46%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$110 ₫2.8M

331.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$5,369 ₫138.7M

109.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$14.52 ₫375.1K

329.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$11.77 ₫304.1K

141.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$78.4 ₫2.0M

20.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$53.0 ₫1.4M

61.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$154 ₫4.0M

364.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$87.8 ₫2.3M

458.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$348 ₫9.0M

453.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$201 ₫5.2M

611.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$2,257 ₫58.3M

84.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,198 ₫30.9M

154.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$226 ₫5.8M

122.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.64

-35.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tay Ninh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Tay Ninh

$88 20.1% 82.1% $403

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Tay Ninh

$150 34.4% 43.5% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Tay Ninh

$43 9.9% 65.4% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Tay Ninh

$71 16.2% 41.8% $51

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Tay Ninh

$42 9.6% 65.6% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Tay Ninh

$32 7.3% 61.5% $51

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Tay Ninh

$11 2.6% 84% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $154 in Tay Ninh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.2 times 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 in Phuket vs $11 in Tay Ninh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $150 per month, with Tay Ninh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇻🇳 Tay Ninh

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

135,254

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,757 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Tay Ninh 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Tay Ninh

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tay Ninh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tay Ninh is about 66% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Phuket is about 2.2 times higher, 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: $716 in Phuket versus $154 in Tay Ninh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $110 in Tay Ninh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $437 in Tay Ninh versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tay Ninh but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tay Ninh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tay Ninh are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Tay Ninh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.