Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tlokweng Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tlokweng

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $574 in Tlokweng.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $925 in Tlokweng.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,276 in Tlokweng.

Living in Phuket is roughly 120% more expensive than in Tlokweng, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tlokweng 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$11.34 P 149

-58.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$29.53 P 388

9.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.11 P 80.2

42.06%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.35 P 30.93

23.40%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.72 P 9.46

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.45 P 5.89

8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.02 P 26.57

22.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.66 P 34.92

40.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.55 P 20.30

21.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.89 P 11.71

58.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.86 P 24.47

-12.90%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.53 P 33.24

-11.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$5.98 P 78.6

231.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.76 P 62.5

-26.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$4.86 P 63.8

133.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.58 P 20.77

83.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.39 P 18.32

23.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.09 P 27.45

8.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.65 P 21.62

29.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.40 P 18.42

5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.18 P 15.52

20.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.42 P 18.65

-22.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.90 P 11.84

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.79 P 49.82

13.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$4.38 P 57.6

324.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.43 P 18.79

25.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.69 P 22.21

75.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.65 P 8.49

376.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.58 P 33.95

-58.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$3.02 P 39.66

28.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.43 P 18.82

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$20.3K P 266.8K

36.78%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$20.4K P 268.2K

32.13%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$60.7 P 797

72.77%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$19.45 P 255

-41.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$40.66 P 534

-56.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$6.43 P 84.5

21.00%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$128 P 1,686

349.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$2,616 P 34.4K

342.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$46.72 P 614

36.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$17.08 P 224

70.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$67.9 P 892

41.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$75.0 P 985

20.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.67

-52.27%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tlokweng: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Tlokweng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $173 per month, with Tlokweng 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 Tlokweng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tlokweng is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 120% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $861 in Tlokweng 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.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $128 in Tlokweng. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tlokweng – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $574 in Tlokweng versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tlokweng but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tlokweng the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tlokweng 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 Tlokweng 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 Tlokweng gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.