Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tlemcen

For one person, living is cheaper in Tlemcen: $398 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Tlemcen, Algeria
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Tlemcen
🇩🇿 Algeria
$398
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tlemcen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Tlemcen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $398 in Tlemcen.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Tlemcen $398

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $719 in Tlemcen.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Tlemcen $719

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,040 in Tlemcen.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Tlemcen $1,040

Living in Phuket is roughly 225% more expensive than in Tlemcen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Tlemcen 71% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Tlemcen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿147
$3.44 DZD 466
27.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,078
$9.97 DZD 1,351
224.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿290
$4.02 DZD 544
116.42%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿90.9
$0.69 DZD 93.2
294.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.06
$0.67 DZD 91.2
38.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.67
$0.50 DZD 68.2
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿84.5
$1.14 DZD 154
121.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿121
$2.18 DZD 295
66.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Tlemcen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$0.94 DZD 127
85.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.42
$0.15 DZD 20.96
866.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.1
$1.99 DZD 270
-24.62%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.5
$1.51 DZD 205
43.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿637
$9.49 DZD 1,285
101.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿113
$3.39 DZD 459
0.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿364
$9.25 DZD 1,253
17.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿98.2
$2.89 DZD 391
1.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.5
$2.71 DZD 368
-37.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.2
$1.40 DZD 189
56.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿70.9
$1.04 DZD 142
103.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿48.68
$0.76 DZD 103
92.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿45.66
$0.56 DZD 76.1
144.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿35.91
$0.74 DZD 100
45.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.21
$0.42 DZD 56.7
30.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿148
$1.54 DZD 208
187.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿609
$9.89 DZD 1,340
84.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.2
$0.99 DZD 134
78.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿96.2
$1.08 DZD 146
166.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Tlemcen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.32
$0.16 DZD 21.57
806.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,832
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿50.5
$0.86 DZD 117
75.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿25.90
$0.31 DZD 41.92
151.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿128
$2.35 DZD 318
63.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.65
$0.30 DZD 41.26
396.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿897.3K
$16.1K DZD 2.2M
67.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.4K
$29.7K DZD 4.0M
-11.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Tlemcen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,265
$19.16 DZD 2,596
410.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿377
$7.62 DZD 1,032
48.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿574
$15.88 DZD 2,151
8.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Tlemcen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,281
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿365
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿248
$4.60 DZD 623
61.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Tlemcen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.7K
$37.80 DZD 5,121
1303.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿626.9K
$3,191 DZD 432.2K
488.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Tlemcen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,059
$35.22 DZD 4,771
75.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿943
$51.6 DZD 6,987
-45.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,204
$67.7 DZD 9,172
41.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,898
$73.0 DZD 9,890
18.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Tlemcen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.1K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.1K
$267 DZD 36.2K
630.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿46.6K
$153 DZD 20.7K
814.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿139.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿110.1K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Tlemcen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.5
-14.31%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tlemcen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Tlemcen
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Tlemcen
$178 33.3% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Tlemcen
$43 66.2% $84
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Tlemcen
$102 16.6% $20
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Tlemcen
$63 47.6% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Tlemcen
$9.2 * 89% $74
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Tlemcen
$3.1 * 95.4% $63

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $10 in Tlemcen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $178 per month, with Tlemcen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇩🇿 Tlemcen
🕒 Local time
01:05 1:05 AM
19:05 7:05 PM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
140,158
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.51 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.38 USD). 1 EUR = 152 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.57 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Tlemcen 10,380 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Tlemcen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tlemcen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tlemcen cheaper than Phuket?
Tlemcen is about 69% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $597 in Tlemcen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $38 in Tlemcen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Tlemcen?
Dining out is cheaper in Tlemcen – a meal for two runs $10 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Tlemcen?
At $398 in Tlemcen versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tlemcen but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tlemcen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Tlemcen?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Tlemcen?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Tlemcen are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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