Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tesanj Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tesanj

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $850 in Tesanj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,310 in Tesanj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,769 in Tesanj.

Living in Phuket is roughly 47% more expensive than in Tesanj, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tesanj 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.45 BAM 5.91

31.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$16.59 BAM 28.41

178.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$2.89 BAM 4.95

205.88%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$0.92 BAM 1.57

232.61%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.43 BAM 2.46

-48.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.91 BAM 1.56

-56.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.01 BAM 3.44

20.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.75 BAM 2.99

116.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.81 BAM 1.39

179.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.92 BAM 1.57

96.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.30 BAM 3.94

-2.17%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.89 BAM 4.95

-22.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.17 BAM 17.41

91.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.50 BAM 12.85

-51.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$13.13 BAM 22.49

-0.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.25 BAM 2.14

158.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.62 BAM 2.78

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.93 BAM 3.30

23.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.68 BAM 2.87

20.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.84 BAM 1.43

82.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.75 BAM 1.28

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.92 BAM 1.57

6.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.02 BAM 1.74

-49.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.61 BAM 6.18

22.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.06 BAM 13.80

127.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.22 BAM 2.08

52.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.96 BAM 3.36

36.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.82 BAM 3.12

-22.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$35.82 BAM 61.4

-67.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.16 BAM 1.98

168.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.56 BAM 0.96

85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$10.47 BAM 17.93

34.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.48 BAM 2.54

-11.49%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$23.1K BAM 39.6K

20.30%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.1K BAM 44.7K

27.32%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$124 BAM 212

-1.09%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$19.14 BAM 32.78

-29.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$28.79 BAM 49.31

-35.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$29.97 BAM 51.3

101.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$11.05 BAM 18.93

53.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$2.97 BAM 5.09

205.39%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$151 BAM 258

369.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$3,244 BAM 5,556

387.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$70.3 BAM 120

-16.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$34.36 BAM 58.9

2.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$97.4 BAM 167

18.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$117 BAM 201

-28.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$255 BAM 438

144.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$170 BAM 291

161.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$363 BAM 621

462.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$315 BAM 540

373.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,468 BAM 4,228

41.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,816 BAM 3,111

41.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$687 BAM 1,177

-27.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.14

28.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tesanj: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $255 in Tesanj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tesanj pays 37% 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 $17.00 in Tesanj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $224 per month, with Tesanj 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 Tesanj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tesanj is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Tesanj. 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 $255 in Tesanj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $151 in Tesanj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $850 in Tesanj versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tesanj but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tesanj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tesanj 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 Tesanj 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 Tesanj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.