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 $954 in Tesanj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,390 in Tesanj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,825 in Tesanj.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than in Tesanj, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tesanj 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$3.46 BAM 5.81

34.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,060

$16.42 BAM 27.59

96.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿286

$2.94 BAM 4.93

195.24%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.4

$0.91 BAM 1.53

218.68%

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

$0.84 ฿27.78

$1.44 BAM 2.42

-41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.10

$0.86 BAM 1.44

-43.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.7

$2.07 BAM 3.48

19.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$1.81 BAM 3.03

106.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.0

$0.81 BAM 1.36

133.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.36

$0.86 BAM 1.44

63.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.4

$2.31 BAM 3.88

-29.87%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.8

$3.06 BAM 5.13

-26.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿653

$9.88 BAM 16.60

100.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$7.27 BAM 12.22

-52.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿374

$13.43 BAM 22.55

-15.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.4

$1.25 BAM 2.10

132.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.8

$1.81 BAM 3.04

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.8

$1.85 BAM 3.10

22.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.2

$1.74 BAM 2.93

22.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.53

$0.79 BAM 1.33

86.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.73

$0.68 BAM 1.15

108.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.11

$0.95 BAM 1.59

15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.68

$1.01 BAM 1.70

-40.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.00 BAM 6.72

7.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿612

$8.02 BAM 13.48

131.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.3

$1.31 BAM 2.19

37.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.6

$2.32 BAM 3.90

28.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.9

$1.31 BAM 2.20

71.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿773

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.17 BAM 1.97

164.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.42

$0.57 BAM 0.96

89.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$10.75 BAM 18.06

-64.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.97

$1.53 BAM 2.57

-6.54%

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

$27.8K ฿914.4K

$31.6K BAM 53.1K

-12.06%

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

$27.0K ฿888.0K

$22.4K BAM 37.6K

20.47%

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

$105 ฿3,449

$124 BAM 209

-15.59%

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

$11.39 ฿375

$18.92 BAM 31.78

-39.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿577

$28.33 BAM 47.59

-38.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,788

$34.48 BAM 57.9

57.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿377

$30.09 BAM 50.6

-61.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿256

$3.01 BAM 5.05

158.47%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$152 BAM 256

278.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.2K

$3,994 BAM 6,709

189.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,094

$116 BAM 195

-45.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿958

$34.80 BAM 58.5

-16.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,167

$97.6 BAM 164

-1.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,962

$117 BAM 197

-23.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$349 BAM 586

110.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$262 BAM 441

90.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.0K

$528 BAM 888

302.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.2K

$380 BAM 638

229.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.3K

$2,544 BAM 4,272

38.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.3K

$1,825 BAM 3,065

43.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$715 BAM 1,201

-29.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.3

29.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tesanj: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $349 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Tesanj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $225 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, Getting Around. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 41% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $349 in Tesanj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $152 in Tesanj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tesanj – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $954 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.