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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $626 in Tema.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,005 in Tema.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,384 in Tema.

Living in Phuket is roughly 97% more expensive than Tema, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tema 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.24 GHS 81.1

-36.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$27.52 GHS 308

70.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.09 GHS 90.5

9.27%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.50 GHS 16.81

100.00%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.99 GHS 11.10

-25.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.33 GHS 3.70

12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.74 GHS 19.49

40.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.67 GHS 29.84

35.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$3.07 GHS 34.33

-26.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.62 GHS 18.09

13.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.49 GHS 16.69

50.34%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.15 GHS 24.06

7.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$3.71 GHS 41.48

430.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.72 GHS 30.49

34.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$2.50 GHS 27.94

424.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.81 GHS 31.44

20.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.06 GHS 23.09

-20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.09 GHS 23.43

15.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.80 GHS 31.37

-27.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.90 GHS 21.29

-17.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.92 GHS 21.44

-21.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.64 GHS 7.11

59.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.82 GHS 9.17

-40.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$8.54 GHS 95.5

121.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.84 GHS 9.42

111.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$2.02 GHS 22.63

-30.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$38.63 GHS 432

-70.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.35 GHS 15.13

131.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.77 GHS 8.57

29.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.25 GHS 13.94

8.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$125 ฿4,087

$30.51 GHS 341

309.64%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$12.08 GHS 135

12.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$64.9 GHS 727

-71.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$19.31 GHS 216

218.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$82.6 GHS 925

744.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$25.03 GHS 280

130.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$24.84 GHS 278

41.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$44.69 GHS 500

153.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$61.5 GHS 689

40.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$119 GHS 1,327

419.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$66.7 GHS 746

568.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$135 GHS 1,514

1002.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$10.2K GHS 113.7K

-62.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$6,068 GHS 67.9K

-56.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$463 GHS 5,186

13.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

32.5

-83.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tema: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $119 in Tema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 13% 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 $28.00 in Tema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $186 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 13% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $119 in Tema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $82.6 in Tema. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $626 in Tema versus $1,232 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 97% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.