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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $815 in Temara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,278 in Temara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,741 in Temara.

Living in Phuket is roughly 51% more expensive than Temara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Temara 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.63 MAD 42.85

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$32.94 MAD 305

42.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$6.82 MAD 63.1

29.62%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$2.59 MAD 23.94

15.83%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$0.64 MAD 5.96

15.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$0.41 MAD 3.78

-9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$5.44 MAD 50.3

-55.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$4.07 MAD 37.64

-11.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$0.88 MAD 8.12

156.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$0.55 MAD 5.06

234.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$1.85 MAD 17.11

21.08%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$2.00 MAD 18.47

16.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$12.56 MAD 116

56.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.10 MAD 56.4

-40.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$11.07 MAD 102

18.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$1.50 MAD 13.87

126.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$1.38 MAD 12.77

18.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$0.81 MAD 7.54

197.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$0.83 MAD 7.70

144.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$0.79 MAD 7.28

97.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$0.76 MAD 7.01

97.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$0.43 MAD 3.98

137.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$0.62 MAD 5.76

-20.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.20 MAD 38.89

5.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$7.95 MAD 73.6

137.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$2.74 MAD 25.30

-35.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$2.45 MAD 22.70

12.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

$0.53 MAD 4.86

164.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

$16.92 MAD 157

-32.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$0.91 MAD 8.44

242.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$0.78 MAD 7.17

28.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$4.48 MAD 41.42

214.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$1.54 MAD 14.22

-12.34%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$37.2K MAD 344.0K

-26.90%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.6K MAD 273.8K

11.21%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$38.69 MAD 358

223.03%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$11.09 MAD 103

22.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$40.94 MAD 379

-54.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

$24.10 MAD 223

155.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$5.59 MAD 51.7

201.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$6.73 MAD 62.2

36.55%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$136 MAD 1,256

414.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$2,357 MAD 21.8K

561.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$42.55 MAD 394

35.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$49.64 MAD 459

-29.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$108 MAD 1,000

4.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$105 MAD 970

-17.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$399 MAD 3,694

54.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$212 MAD 1,959

110.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$668 MAD 6,182

206.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$335 MAD 3,096

345.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

$1,261 MAD 11.7K

199.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

$915 MAD 8,463

189.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

$343 MAD 3,176

52.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.75

12.21%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Temara: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $399 in Temara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 53% 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 $33.00 in Temara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $202 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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 53% 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 $399 in Temara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $136 in Temara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $815 in Temara versus $1,232 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 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.