Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tibas Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tibas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,484 in Tibas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,168 in Tibas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,853 in Tibas.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 16% less than in Tibas, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Tibas is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$10.10 ₡4,520

-54.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$29.69 ₡13.3K

55.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$9.18 ₡4,108

-3.70%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.95 ₡871

56.92%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.16 ₡518

-37.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.17 ₡525

-65.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.00 ₡896

21.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.05 ₡1,364

23.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.01 ₡452

123.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.03 ₡907

-10.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.17 ₡970

3.69%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.92 ₡1,306

-22.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.02 ₡4,483

94.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.25 ₡2,348

-30.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$13.48 ₡6,028

-3.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$4.41 ₡1,974

-26.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.50 ₡672

8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$4.24 ₡1,896

-43.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.70 ₡1,207

-24.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$3.45 ₡1,544

-55.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.21 ₡1,435

-53.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.51 ₡228

92.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$2.82 ₡1,260

-81.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$5.14 ₡2,299

-13.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$22.06 ₡9,866

-16.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.52 ₡1,129

-26.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.80 ₡1,255

-4.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.03 ₡461

36.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.80 ₡803

72.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.77 ₡791

-41.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$7.77 ₡3,475

81.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.46 ₡652

-10.27%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-27.02%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$32.7K ₡14.6M

1.53%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$92.3 ₡41.3K

32.61%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$26.41 ₡11.8K

-48.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$59.3 ₡26.5K

-68.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$57.9 ₡25.9K

4.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$24.04 ₡10.8K

-29.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$10.04 ₡4,489

-9.66%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$566 ₡253.1K

24.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$12.4K ₡5.6M

27.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$63.0 ₡28.2K

-7.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$50.7 ₡22.7K

-30.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$126 ₡56.4K

-8.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$106 ₡47.3K

-20.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$765 ₡342.0K

-18.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$602 ₡269.4K

-26.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,542 ₡689.7K

32.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$967 ₡432.8K

54.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,002 ₡448.4K

-50.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.17

-47.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tibas: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $765 in Tibas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tibas pays 101% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Tibas. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $324, with Phuket 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 Tibas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 101% lower in Tibas. 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 $765 in Tibas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $566 in Tibas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $30.00 in Tibas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,484 in Tibas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tibas. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tibas, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tibas 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Tibas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.