Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tukums Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tukums

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,284 in Tukums.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,860 in Tukums.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,435 in Tukums.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 4% less than in Tukums, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tukums 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.81 €4.97

-20.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$23.48 €20.09

99.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.42 €8.07

-6.16%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.46 €2.96

-13.29%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.78 €1.52

-58.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.35 €1.16

-72.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$5.86 €5.02

-58.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$5.94 €5.08

-39.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.13 €0.97

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.68 €1.44

9.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.92 €2.50

-23.29%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.10 €1.80

10.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.99 €7.70

118.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.05 €6.03

-48.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.73 €10.04

11.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.66 €1.42

104.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.85 €1.58

-11.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.54 €2.17

-5.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$3.56 €3.04

-42.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.66 €0.56

136.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.07 €0.91

40.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.73 €1.48

-41.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.60 €0.52

-18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.71 €4.89

-22.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$8.05 €6.89

134.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.22 €1.05

45.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.28 €1.95

20.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.94 €0.80

48.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$35.77 €30.62

-67.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.94 €2.51

6.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.86 €0.73

16.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$14.04 €12.02

0.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.85 €1.58

-27.03%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$30.8K €26.4K

-11.86%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$31.8K €27.3K

3.40%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$296 €253

-57.73%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$17.12 €14.65

-20.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$20.64 €17.67

-10.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$51.7 €44.27

18.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$11.73 €10.04

-21.65%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$538 €460

29.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$15.7K €13.4K

-0.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$90.4 €77.4

-36.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$46.64 €39.93

-24.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$81.3 €69.6

39.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$137 €117

-36.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$231 €197

167.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$254 €218

75.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$742 €635

175.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$458 €392

225.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,491 €1,276

153.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,001 €856

164.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$577 €494

-9.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.63

15.12%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tukums: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $231 in Tukums. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tukums pays 10% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Tukums for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $238 per month, with Tukums 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 Tukums: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tukums earns 10% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $231 in Tukums. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $538 in Tukums. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tukums pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,284 in Tukums, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tukums. 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 Tukums, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tukums 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 4% less than in Tukums. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.