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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,199 in Tepelene.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,833 in Tepelene.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,467 in Tepelene.

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than Tepelene, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tepelene 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$11.64 ALL 952

-59.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$57.8 ALL 4,732

-21.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$9.63 ALL 788

-12.46%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.07 ALL 169

41.55%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.89 ALL 154

-63.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.98 ALL 79.8

-62.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.90 ALL 238

-16.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.03 ALL 330

-7.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.05 ALL 167

8.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.14 ALL 93.1

60.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.23 ALL 183

-2.69%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.83 ALL 313

-42.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$13.04 ALL 1,067

51.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.55 ALL 618

-51.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.39 ALL 1,259

-12.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.72 ALL 141

90.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.76 ALL 226

-41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.96 ALL 160

22.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.99 ALL 163

4.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.37 ALL 112

11.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.34 ALL 109

10.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.51 ALL 123

-34.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.75 ALL 61.3

-32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.36 ALL 357

1.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$11.12 ALL 910

74.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.58 ALL 130

12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.17 ALL 178

24.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.45 ALL 36.53

204.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$19.09 ALL 1,561

-40.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.52 ALL 288

-14.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$3.07 ALL 251

-67.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$17.96 ALL 1,470

-21.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$2.09 ALL 171

-34.93%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$40.4K ALL 3.3M

-30.27%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.6K ALL 2.9M

-7.55%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$107 ALL 8,729

14.06%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$17.56 ALL 1,436

-22.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$18.64 ALL 1,525

-1.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$54.7 ALL 4,476

10.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$25.13 ALL 2,056

-31.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$9.69 ALL 792

-10.32%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$162 ALL 13.2K

329.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$5,572 ALL 455.9K

181.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$61.0 ALL 4,994

-2.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$49.61 ALL 4,058

-29.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$109 ALL 8,927

5.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$129 ALL 10.6K

-35.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$450 ALL 36.9K

36.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$342 ALL 28.0K

27.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$603 ALL 49.3K

247.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$439 ALL 35.9K

244.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,955 ALL 160.0K

91.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,340 ALL 109.6K

95.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$663 ALL 54.3K

-23.41%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tepelene: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $450 in Tepelene. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tepelene pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $58.0 in Tepelene. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $278, 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 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tepelene earns 31% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $450 in Tepelene. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $162 in Tepelene. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,199 in Tepelene versus $1,265 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 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.