Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Timbo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Timbo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $681 in Timbo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,108 in Timbo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,535 in Timbo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 86% more expensive than Timbo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Timbo 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.49 R$23.12

4.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,489

$33.01 R$170

37.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿277

$3.56 R$18.32

136.80%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.1

$1.77 R$9.14

65.54%

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

$0.69 ฿22.50

$0.96 R$4.93

-28.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.60 R$3.11

-38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.66 R$8.55

45.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.14 R$11.04

73.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.3

$0.83 R$4.27

168.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$1.39 R$7.14

31.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$0.84 R$4.34

158.33%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$1.64 R$8.43

34.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿648

$7.00 R$36.04

182.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.24 R$16.67

12.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$6.65 R$34.25

103.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿108

$1.59 R$8.19

106.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.9

$0.64 R$3.31

151.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.75 R$3.85

221.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.21 R$6.21

71.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$0.88 R$4.52

73.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.58

$0.88 R$4.53

68.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.44

$0.57 R$2.94

73.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.74

$0.66 R$3.39

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿145

$1.43 R$7.36

208.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$4.84 R$24.94

300.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.4

$1.02 R$5.25

74.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿89.0

$1.85 R$9.54

46.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.99

$0.88 R$4.51

55.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$38.62 R$199

-70.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.1

$1.16 R$5.98

160.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.63

$0.71 R$3.64

39.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿463

$6.32 R$32.57

123.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.71

$0.88 R$4.53

54.55%

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

$28.2K ฿925.3K

$18.4K R$94.6K

53.62%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.5K R$126.3K

34.15%

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

$122 ฿3,993

$52.6 R$271

131.41%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$11.48 R$59.2

18.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿601

$20.90 R$108

-12.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,976

$22.17 R$114

171.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$21.30 R$110

-19.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$5.54 R$28.53

56.86%

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

$693 ฿22.8K

$215 R$1,107

222.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.7K

$2,601 R$13.4K

503.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,953

$28.50 R$147

108.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,141

$35.89 R$185

-3.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,760

$53.8 R$277

112.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,733

$45.36 R$234

83.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$316 R$1,630

93.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$213 R$1,096

105.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$594 R$3,058

252.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$435 R$2,240

247.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿123.0K

$1,563 R$8,052

139.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$1,177 R$6,061

122.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$706 R$3,637

-28.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-51.55%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Timbo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $316 in Timbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Timbo pays 39% 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 $33.00 in Timbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $143 per month, with Timbo 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 Timbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timbo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Timbo earns 39% 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 $316 in Timbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $215 in Timbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 105% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $681 in Timbo versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Timbo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Timbo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Timbo 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 Timbo 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 Timbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.