Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tema

For one person, living is cheaper in Tema: $738 a month against $1,190 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Tema
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Tema Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Tema

🇬🇭 Ghana

$738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tema

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 Tema actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $738 in Tema.

Phuket $1,190
Tema $738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $1,173 in Tema.

Phuket $2,006
Tema $1,173

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $1,608 in Tema.

Phuket $2,822
Tema $1,608

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than in Tema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Tema 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$7.03 GHS 82.6

-38.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$27.88 GHS 328

16.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$5.05 GHS 59.3

-44.36%

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$0.90 GHS 10.57

-3.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$0.30 GHS 3.55

53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$3.29 GHS 38.67

-21.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$2.61 GHS 30.66

39.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$3.16 GHS 37.18

-45.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$1.60 GHS 18.84

-9.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.07 GHS 24.34

-24.64%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$2.30 GHS 27.06

-8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$4.38 GHS 51.4

345.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$3.17 GHS 37.21

7.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$3.38 GHS 39.73

229.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$2.61 GHS 30.71

8.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$2.13 GHS 25.06

-23.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$2.21 GHS 26.01

0.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$3.49 GHS 41.02

-38.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

$3.40 GHS 39.98

-56.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$2.82 GHS 33.12

-52.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

$0.45 GHS 5.25

137.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

$0.67 GHS 7.86

-23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$1.26 GHS 14.86

247.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$8.54 GHS 100

119.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$2.10 GHS 24.63

-17.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.96 GHS 34.79

-6.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$1.68 GHS 19.73

29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

$41.17 GHS 484

-45.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$2.10 GHS 24.73

43.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$0.41 GHS 4.83

158.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$1.19 GHS 13.98

20.17%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$78.2 GHS 919

23.64%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$15.22 GHS 179

-25.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$82.5 GHS 970

-79.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

$24.06 GHS 283

119.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$8.80 GHS 103

-13.07%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$174 GHS 2,050

217.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$2,544 GHS 29.9K

343.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$13.07 GHS 154

385.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$15.40 GHS 181

85.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$42.37 GHS 498

128.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$32.20 GHS 378

175.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$126 GHS 1,485

481.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$71.3 GHS 838

542.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$426 GHS 5,008

393.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

$209 GHS 2,456

467.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

$9,909 GHS 116.4K

-64.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

$5,903 GHS 69.4K

-57.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$419 GHS 4,921

19.61%

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: October 4, 2026

Last update for Tema: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Tema

$71 9.6% 84.4% $387

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Tema

$216 28.9% 19.6% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Tema

$176 23.6% 40.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Tema

$46 6.2% 62.8% $78

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Tema

$143 * 19.2% 20.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Tema

$42 5.6% 38.8% $26

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Tema

$52 7% 32.6% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $126 in Tema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 20% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Tema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $216 per month, with Tema cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇬🇭 Tema

🕒 Local time

16:15 4:15 PM

09:15 9:15 AM

7 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

160,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 GHS = 8.51 USD

100 GHS = 7.59 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.75 GHS (100 GHS = 8.51 USD). 1 EUR = 13.17 GHS (100 GHS = 7.59 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Tema 10,840 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Tema

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 Tema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tema is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $735 in Phuket versus $126 in Tema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $174 in Tema. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $738 in Tema versus $1,190 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 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.