Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Temara Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Temara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $773 in Temara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,192 in Temara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,611 in Temara.

Living in Phuket is roughly 64% more expensive than in Temara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Temara 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$4.22 MAD 39.64

10.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,066

$31.47 MAD 296

2.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.54 MAD 61.5

32.72%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.9

$1.90 MAD 17.85

52.63%

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

$0.84 ฿27.91

$0.64 MAD 6.00

31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.17

$0.37 MAD 3.49

32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.1

$5.19 MAD 48.80

-52.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.24 MAD 30.42

15.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.93 MAD 8.75

103.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.58

$0.85 MAD 7.97

65.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.62 MAD 15.24

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.06 MAD 19.37

8.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$9.68 MAD 91.0

104.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$5.52 MAD 51.9

-36.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$11.89 MAD 112

-4.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.9

$1.62 MAD 15.21

79.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.41 MAD 13.23

21.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.2

$0.91 MAD 8.54

149.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.5

$0.92 MAD 8.61

131.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$0.74 MAD 6.97

98.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.96

$0.85 MAD 7.97

67.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.29

$0.28 MAD 2.65

292.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.78

$0.60 MAD 5.61

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.17 MAD 39.20

3.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$7.70 MAD 72.4

141.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.6

$2.30 MAD 21.65

-21.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.1

$2.66 MAD 25.04

11.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.3

$0.55 MAD 5.16

309.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿777

$25.43 MAD 239

-7.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿103

$0.81 MAD 7.60

282.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.59

$0.95 MAD 8.90

13.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$4.31 MAD 40.49

-10.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.20

$1.58 MAD 14.85

-9.49%

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

$27.8K ฿918.9K

$34.9K MAD 328.2K

-20.44%

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

$27.0K ฿892.4K

$31.5K MAD 295.9K

-14.30%

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

$105 ฿3,466

$36.22 MAD 340

189.34%

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

$11.39 ฿377

$10.37 MAD 97.4

9.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$37.81 MAD 355

-53.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,797

$24.32 MAD 229

123.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$5.47 MAD 51.4

109.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$6.30 MAD 59.2

23.49%

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

$576 ฿19.1K

$119 MAD 1,118

384.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿383.0K

$7,071 MAD 66.4K

63.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,104

$32.67 MAD 307

94.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿962

$45.97 MAD 432

-36.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,182

$86.9 MAD 817

10.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,977

$83.4 MAD 784

7.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$263 MAD 2,467

179.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.6K

$205 MAD 1,931

143.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.3K

$420 MAD 3,949

405.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$320 MAD 3,012

290.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.9K

$1,267 MAD 11.9K

179.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.7K

$975 MAD 9,165

168.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$245 MAD 2,298

107.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.5

59.14%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Temara: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $263 in Temara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 108% 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 $31.00 in Temara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $194 per month, with Temara 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 Temara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Temara is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 108% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $263 in Temara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $119 in Temara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $773 in Temara versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Temara but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Temara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Temara 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 Temara 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 Temara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.