Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tema Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tema

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $787 in Tema.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,266 in Tema.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $1,745 in Tema.

Living in Phuket is roughly 60% more expensive than in Tema, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tema 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$7.47 GHS 82.1

-40.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$29.74 GHS 327

17.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$5.59 GHS 61.4

-46.33%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$0.87 GHS 9.52

-11.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.32 GHS 3.52

46.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$3.35 GHS 36.89

-28.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$2.80 GHS 30.78

33.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$3.36 GHS 36.96

-45.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$1.63 GHS 17.96

-12.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$2.18 GHS 24.02

-28.90%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.47 GHS 27.18

-13.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$4.44 GHS 48.79

345.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$3.32 GHS 36.55

4.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$3.55 GHS 39.03

212.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$2.68 GHS 29.44

8.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$2.26 GHS 24.84

-26.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$2.24 GHS 24.68

1.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$3.74 GHS 41.12

-43.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$3.68 GHS 40.49

-60.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$2.88 GHS 31.68

-51.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$0.46 GHS 5.07

136.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.71 GHS 7.80

-23.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$1.32 GHS 14.54

239.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$9.14 GHS 101

104.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$2.30 GHS 25.30

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$3.25 GHS 35.73

-9.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$1.79 GHS 19.73

26.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$43.41 GHS 478

-46.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$2.20 GHS 24.25

38.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.44 GHS 4.84

147.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.21 GHS 13.36

23.14%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

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

$102 ฿3,340

$82.7 GHS 910

23.08%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$15.78 GHS 174

-28.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$85.4 GHS 940

-79.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$25.14 GHS 277

115.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$9.02 GHS 99.2

-12.97%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$180 GHS 1,984

219.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$2,701 GHS 29.7K

330.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$13.82 GHS 152

372.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$16.50 GHS 182

75.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$45.92 GHS 505

115.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$33.50 GHS 369

169.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$135 GHS 1,489

458.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$75.0 GHS 825

549.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$455 GHS 5,008

357.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$229 GHS 2,517

427.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$10.4K GHS 114.1K

-65.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$6,342 GHS 69.8K

-58.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$438 GHS 4,815

14.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-84.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Tema: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $135 in Tema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 15% 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: $35.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Tema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $227 per month, with Tema 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 Tema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tema is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $756 in Phuket versus $135 in Tema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $180 in Tema. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $787 in Tema versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tema but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tema the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tema 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 Tema 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 Tema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.