Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tsumeb Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tsumeb

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $766 in Tsumeb.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,264 in Tsumeb.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,763 in Tsumeb.

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than Tsumeb, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tsumeb 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$16.52 NAD 277

-71.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$36.90 NAD 619

26.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.85 NAD 148

-0.11%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.18 NAD 36.48

37.61%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$2.16 NAD 36.23

-65.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.09 NAD 35.09

-82.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.45 NAD 41.03

-0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.20 NAD 20.07

200.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.33 NAD 22.30

69.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.75 NAD 12.56

145.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.54 NAD 25.87

45.45%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.70 NAD 45.24

-14.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$13.49 NAD 226

45.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.37 NAD 56.6

8.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.95 NAD 167

31.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.26 NAD 37.97

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.73 NAD 45.81

-39.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.49 NAD 41.76

-3.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.03 NAD 34.09

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.19 NAD 36.80

-28.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.58 NAD 26.55

-5.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.49 NAD 24.91

-31.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.98 NAD 16.51

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.06 NAD 51.3

45.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$3.84 NAD 64.5

391.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.92 NAD 15.38

93.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.24 NAD 20.88

121.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.85 NAD 14.28

267.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.79 NAD 13.21

26.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.20 NAD 20.14

12.50%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$28.4K NAD 476.2K

-4.28%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.1K NAD 353.7K

56.10%

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

$125 ฿4,087

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

$13.57 ฿444

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$28.20 NAD 473

-34.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$21.89 NAD 367

180.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$39.42 NAD 661

1671.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$41.12 NAD 690

40.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$26.89 NAD 451

31.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$43.31 NAD 726

161.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$48.23 NAD 809

79.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$268 NAD 4,499

129.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$207 NAD 3,477

115.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$453 NAD 7,594

352.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$369 NAD 6,186

304.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-40.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tsumeb: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $268 in Tsumeb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Tsumeb for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $215 per month, with Tsumeb 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 Tsumeb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tsumeb is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,149 in Tsumeb 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $268 in Tsumeb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $39.42 in Tsumeb. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tsumeb – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $766 in Tsumeb versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tsumeb but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tsumeb the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tsumeb 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 Tsumeb 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 Tsumeb gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.