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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $989 in Tembisa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,565 in Tembisa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,140 in Tembisa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 28% more expensive than in Tembisa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Tembisa 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$8.66 R 144

-48.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$33.77 R 563

35.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$4.93 R 82.2

77.69%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$2.13 R 35.46

39.44%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.99 R 16.43

-30.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.82 R 13.64

-52.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$2.26 R 37.67

11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.49 R 41.45

50.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.12 R 18.58

91.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.00 R 16.72

82.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.64 R 27.27

32.93%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.45 R 40.84

-8.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$7.47 R 125

167.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.63 R 77.1

-21.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$6.57 R 109

106.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$1.60 R 26.59

102.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.52 R 25.40

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.55 R 25.81

50.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.57 R 26.21

31.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.30 R 21.72

19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.22 R 20.36

19.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.09 R 18.19

-10.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.98 R 16.37

-51.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$2.73 R 45.54

59.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$4.26 R 71.0

335.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.39 R 23.18

33.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.66 R 27.73

59.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$1.62 R 26.96

-12.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.13 R 18.87

180.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.96 R 16.02

7.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$3.95 R 65.8

251.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.29 R 21.46

3.88%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$21.5K R 358.8K

29.03%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$23.6K R 392.3K

41.73%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$118 R 1,965

4.31%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$35.04 R 584

-60.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$40.95 R 682

-55.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$30.54 R 509

98.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$6.74 R 112

31.60%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$195 R 3,245

253.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$4,332 R 72.2K

264.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$50.7 R 844

17.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$32.44 R 540

6.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$88.9 R 1,480

29.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$78.9 R 1,314

6.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$357 R 5,947

74.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$332 R 5,536

34.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$686 R 11.4K

196.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$680 R 11.3K

120.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$899 R 15.0K

284.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$553 R 9,217

357.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$552 R 9,189

-10.52%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tembisa: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $357 in Tembisa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tembisa pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Tembisa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $175 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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Tembisa. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $357 in Tembisa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $195 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 $34.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $989 in Tembisa versus $1,264 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 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.