Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tembisa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tembisa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,019 in Tembisa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,593 in Tembisa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,166 in Tembisa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than Tembisa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Tembisa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$8.67 R 143

-46.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$33.22 R 547

39.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$4.73 R 77.8

83.51%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.13 R 35.01

38.50%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.98 R 16.17

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.76 R 12.45

-48.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.26 R 37.27

11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.44 R 40.27

54.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.16 R 19.14

91.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.05 R 17.22

71.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.62 R 26.64

35.19%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.48 R 40.92

-6.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$7.93 R 131

143.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$4.52 R 74.5

-16.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$6.78 R 112

94.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.65 R 27.23

101.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.48 R 24.31

11.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.47 R 24.20

55.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.66 R 27.31

19.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.32 R 21.69

15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.23 R 20.33

22.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.08 R 17.84

-4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.93 R 15.24

-45.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.79 R 45.88

58.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$4.89 R 80.5

296.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.33 R 21.88

35.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.65 R 27.10

62.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$1.69 R 27.80

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.15 R 18.88

164.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.94 R 15.45

10.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$4.13 R 68.0

231.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.29 R 21.31

0.78%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$20.9K R 344.8K

33.25%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$24.3K R 399.9K

36.05%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$120 R 1,983

2.13%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$34.49 R 568

-59.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$41.32 R 681

-54.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$31.40 R 517

94.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$6.53 R 108

35.83%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$199 R 3,282

249.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$4,280 R 70.5K

275.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$51.1 R 841

16.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$32.35 R 533

7.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$88.0 R 1,450

28.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$80.6 R 1,327

5.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$361 R 5,952

70.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$334 R 5,495

34.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$684 R 11.3K

204.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$686 R 11.3K

118.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$661 R 10.9K

465.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$612 R 10.1K

334.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$569 R 9,368

-6.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.51

-53.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Tembisa: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $361 in Tembisa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tembisa pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $33 in Tembisa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $178 per month, with Tembisa 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 Tembisa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tembisa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tembisa earns 7% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $615 in Phuket versus $361 in Tembisa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $199 in Tembisa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tembisa – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,019 in Tembisa versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tembisa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tembisa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tembisa 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 Tembisa 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 Tembisa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.