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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $872 in Tesanj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,322 in Tesanj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,772 in Tesanj.

Living in Phuket is roughly 45% more expensive than Tesanj, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tesanj 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.51 BAM 5.89

33.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$16.66 BAM 27.99

172.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.00 BAM 5.04

181.00%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$0.85 BAM 1.43

244.71%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.48 BAM 2.49

-53.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.90 BAM 1.50

-58.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.09 BAM 3.51

15.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.81 BAM 3.05

105.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.85 BAM 1.43

162.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.90 BAM 1.51

103.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.40 BAM 4.03

-9.58%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.78 BAM 4.67

-20.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.76 BAM 16.40

102.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.30 BAM 12.27

-50.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$13.16 BAM 22.10

2.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.25 BAM 2.09

162.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.69 BAM 2.85

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.92 BAM 3.22

25.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.66 BAM 2.78

25.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.80 BAM 1.34

91.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.70 BAM 1.18

111.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.93 BAM 1.56

6.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.96 BAM 1.62

-46.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.49 BAM 5.86

26.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.49 BAM 14.26

128.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.25 BAM 2.11

42.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.06 BAM 3.46

31.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.85 BAM 3.11

-25.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$35.58 BAM 59.8

-67.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.16 BAM 1.95

160.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.52 BAM 0.88

90.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$10.67 BAM 17.93

32.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.44 BAM 2.42

-5.56%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$23.4K BAM 39.3K

20.70%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.7K BAM 44.9K

23.15%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$124 BAM 209

-2.03%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$19.29 BAM 32.41

-29.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$28.67 BAM 48.17

-36.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$29.51 BAM 49.58

104.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$10.80 BAM 18.15

58.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$2.94 BAM 4.94

195.58%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$150 BAM 251

363.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$3,312 BAM 5,565

373.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$71.8 BAM 121

-17.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$35.38 BAM 59.5

-1.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$99.9 BAM 168

14.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$120 BAM 201

-30.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$262 BAM 440

134.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$168 BAM 283

159.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$370 BAM 621

466.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$313 BAM 526

382.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,603 BAM 4,373

44.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,839 BAM 3,090

42.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$715 BAM 1,201

-28.93%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tesanj: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $262 in Tesanj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tesanj pays 41% 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 $17.00 in Tesanj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $222 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 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tesanj earns 41% 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 $262 in Tesanj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $150 in Tesanj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $872 in Tesanj versus $1,265 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 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.