Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tay Ninh Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tay Ninh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $611 in Tay Ninh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $945 in Tay Ninh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,279 in Tay Ninh.

Living in Phuket is roughly 107% more expensive than Tay Ninh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tay Ninh 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$1.36 ₫35.7K

235.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$11.56 ₫303.4K

303.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.55 ₫119.5K

86.15%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$0.44 ₫11.5K

588.64%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.39 ₫10.4K

76.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.13 ₫3,354

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.98 ₫25.7K

154.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$0.93 ₫24.5K

293.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.38 ₫36.1K

57.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.79 ₫20.7K

140.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.69 ₫18.2K

218.84%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.41 ₫37.0K

57.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$11.91 ₫312.5K

67.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.98 ₫51.9K

84.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$6.98 ₫183.2K

89.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.75 ₫46.0K

84.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.92 ₫24.2K

84.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.24 ₫32.7K

92.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.13 ₫29.7K

84.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.12 ₫29.3K

41.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.18 ₫31.1K

25.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.57 ₫15.0K

80.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.26 ₫6,810

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$1.22 ₫32.2K

248.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$6.60 ₫173.3K

184.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.87 ₫22.8K

102.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.03 ₫27.0K

167.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.34 ₫9,035

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$6.39 ₫167.7K

77.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.20 ₫5,301

1470.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.67 ₫17.6K

55.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$3.11 ₫81.6K

342.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.87 ₫22.9K

54.02%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$37.3K ₫979.5M

-25.83%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$33.7K ₫885.1M

0.43%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$29.64 ₫778.1K

316.97%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$5.94 ₫156.0K

127.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$6.95 ₫182.5K

168.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$24.91 ₫653.8K

148.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$7.80 ₫204.7K

121.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.30 ₫112.8K

112.56%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$64.5 ₫1.7M

989.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,826 ₫179.2M

132.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$17.09 ₫448.5K

247.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$11.52 ₫302.3K

204.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$97.2 ₫2.6M

18.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$69.9 ₫1.8M

20.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$152 ₫4.0M

306.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$251 ₫6.6M

72.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$352 ₫9.2M

486.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$467 ₫12.3M

223.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$594 ₫15.6M

513.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$360 ₫9.5M

628.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$217 ₫5.7M

134.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.14

-41.68%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tay Ninh: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $152 in Tay Ninh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 134% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Tay Ninh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $152 per month, with Tay Ninh 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 Tay Ninh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tay Ninh is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 134% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $152 in Tay Ninh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $64.5 in Tay Ninh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $611 in Tay Ninh versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 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.

For families, Tay Ninh 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 Tay Ninh 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 Tay Ninh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.