Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Telsiai Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Telsiai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,416 in Telsiai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,199 in Telsiai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,982 in Telsiai.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 13% less than in Telsiai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Telsiai is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$13.69 €11.93

-67.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$79.0 €68.8

-59.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$9.02 €7.86

-1.00%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$3.78 €3.30

-23.28%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$2.26 €1.97

-61.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$2.36 €2.05

-79.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$5.89 €5.13

-60.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$5.62 €4.90

-33.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.57 €1.37

19.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.67 €1.46

-11.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.54 €2.21

-38.98%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$3.41 €2.97

-38.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$10.84 €9.44

80.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$8.38 €7.30

-59.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$12.44 €10.84

-8.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$1.94 €1.69

53.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.47 €1.28

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.74 €1.51

27.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$3.27 €2.85

-33.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.93 €0.81

63.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$0.80 €0.70

67.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.68 €1.47

-32.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.85 €0.74

-35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.53 €5.69

-34.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$10.03 €8.74

90.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.91 €1.66

-6.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.12 €1.85

31.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$1.33 €1.16

67.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$37.30 €32.49

-39.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.11 €2.71

-2.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$1.23 €1.07

-17.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$14.50 €12.63

-73.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.91 €1.66

-21.99%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$28.5K €24.8K

-6.61%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$32.6K €28.4K

-17.15%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$236 €205

-56.51%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$14.41 €12.55

-21.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$20.44 €17.81

-14.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$47.33 €41.24

10.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$25.99 €22.64

-57.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$10.55 €9.19

-27.11%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$664 €579

-15.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$11.8K €10.3K

-2.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$92.7 €80.8

-32.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$42.16 €36.73

-29.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$91.2 €79.5

7.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$130 €114

-32.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$542 €472

36.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$403 €351

19.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$782 €681

169.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$565 €492

117.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$2,899 €2,525

24.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,511 €1,316

72.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

39.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Telsiai: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $542 in Telsiai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $79.0 in Telsiai. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $265, with Telsiai 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 Telsiai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $2,124 in Telsiai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $542 in Telsiai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $664 in Telsiai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Telsiai pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,416 in Telsiai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Telsiai. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Telsiai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Telsiai 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Telsiai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.