Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tsu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tsu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,315 in Tsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,050 in Tsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,784 in Tsu.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 6% less than in Tsu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Tsu 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.36 ¥993

-30.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$18.04 ¥2,817

78.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$3.82 ¥596

133.77%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.46 ¥384

17.89%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.18 ¥184

-25.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.65 ¥101

-26.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$2.10 ¥328

11.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.30 ¥358

61.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.60 ¥250

16.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.34 ¥210

9.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$5.71 ¥891

-72.85%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.07 ¥323

1.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$13.10 ¥2,046

49.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.91 ¥1,548

-65.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$33.12 ¥5,173

-65.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$5.13 ¥801

-41.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$3.59 ¥561

-53.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$3.18 ¥497

-30.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$4.27 ¥667

-49.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$3.94 ¥615

-61.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$3.54 ¥553

-62.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.27 ¥199

-11.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$1.03 ¥161

-46.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.53 ¥552

20.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.32 ¥1,300

129.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.08 ¥325

-14.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$1.56 ¥244

78.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$1.47 ¥230

51.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$58.4 ¥9,117

-61.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.15 ¥492

-3.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$3.14 ¥491

-67.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$27.01 ¥4,217

-85.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.04 ¥163

43.27%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$19.4K ¥3.0M

36.85%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$16.8K ¥2.6M

61.29%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$151 ¥23.6K

-32.13%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$24.90 ¥3,889

-54.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$43.69 ¥6,823

-60.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$52.1 ¥8,129

0.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$12.95 ¥2,022

-14.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$8.45 ¥1,320

-8.99%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$329 ¥51.3K

70.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$6,202 ¥968.5K

85.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$50.9 ¥7,947

23.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$26.14 ¥4,082

12.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$47.63 ¥7,439

105.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$66.5 ¥10.4K

33.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$520 ¥81.1K

42.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$339 ¥53.0K

42.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$1,034 ¥161.4K

103.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$746 ¥116.4K

64.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$3,763 ¥587.7K

-3.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,792 ¥279.9K

45.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$1,573 ¥245.6K

-68.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.9

193.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Tsu: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $520 in Tsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tsu pays 219% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Tsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $397, 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 Tsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 219% lower in Tsu. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $520 in Tsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $329 in Tsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Tsu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,315 in Tsu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tsu. 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 Tsu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tsu 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 7% less than in Tsu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.