Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tepelene Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tepelene

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,215 in Tepelene.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,839 in Tepelene.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,462 in Tepelene.

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than in Tepelene, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tepelene 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$11.56 ALL 943

-60.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$59.3 ALL 4,840

-22.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$9.29 ALL 758

-4.84%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.04 ALL 167

50.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.84 ALL 150

-60.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.00 ALL 81.3

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.86 ALL 234

-15.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.08 ALL 333

-7.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.12 ALL 173

6.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.08 ALL 88.0

67.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.23 ALL 182

0.90%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.95 ALL 322

-43.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$13.02 ALL 1,062

49.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.82 ALL 638

-53.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$15.56 ALL 1,269

-16.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.76 ALL 144

83.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.77 ALL 226

-41.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.04 ALL 167

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.92 ALL 157

5.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.31 ALL 107

16.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.32 ALL 107

13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.51 ALL 123

-35.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.78 ALL 63.7

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.19 ALL 342

5.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$10.45 ALL 853

75.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.59 ALL 130

16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.14 ALL 175

25.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.45 ALL 37.11

213.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$18.91 ALL 1,543

-38.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.48 ALL 284

-10.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$3.18 ALL 259

-67.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$17.92 ALL 1,462

-21.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$2.05 ALL 167

-36.10%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$39.7K ALL 3.2M

-29.85%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$35.4K ALL 2.9M

-6.26%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$106 ALL 8,681

15.04%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$18.19 ALL 1,484

-25.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$18.67 ALL 1,522

0.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$55.0 ALL 4,482

10.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$25.34 ALL 2,067

-32.99%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$9.32 ALL 760

-2.68%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$161 ALL 13.1K

338.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,601 ALL 456.8K

182.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$60.9 ALL 4,964

-3.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$50.9 ALL 4,150

-30.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$106 ALL 8,616

9.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$127 ALL 10.3K

-33.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$455 ALL 37.1K

37.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$341 ALL 27.8K

30.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$620 ALL 50.6K

229.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$438 ALL 35.7K

240.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,819 ALL 148.4K

91.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,239 ALL 101.0K

108.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$658 ALL 53.7K

-24.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.52

-3.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tepelene: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $455 in Tepelene. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tepelene pays 32% 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 $59.0 in Tepelene. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $280, with Tepelene cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tepelene: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tepelene is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Tepelene. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $455 in Tepelene. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $161 in Tepelene. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,215 in Tepelene versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tepelene but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tepelene the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tepelene 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 Tepelene 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 Tepelene gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.