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 $1,213 in Tukums.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,700 in Tukums.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,188 in Tukums.

Living in Phuket is roughly 2% more expensive than in Tukums, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Tukums 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$5.69 €4.96

-22.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$23.15 €20.16

39.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$9.54 €8.31

-6.39%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$3.81 €3.32

-23.88%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.65 €1.44

-46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$1.20 €1.04

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$5.71 €4.97

-58.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.72 €4.11

-21.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.07 €0.93

74.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.54 €1.34

-4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.64 €2.30

-41.29%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.10 €1.83

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$9.09 €7.92

115.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$7.00 €6.10

-51.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$14.61 €12.72

-22.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$2.29 €2.00

30.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.93 €1.69

-12.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.42 €2.11

-8.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$3.25 €2.83

-33.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.61 €0.53

149.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$1.02 €0.89

31.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.77 €1.54

-36.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.60 €0.52

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.95 €6.05

-38.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$7.94 €6.91

140.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.23 €1.07

44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.08 €1.81

33.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$1.19 €1.04

87.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.55 €3.09

-14.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$1.06 €0.92

-3.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$18.49 €16.11

-78.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.89 €1.65

-21.16%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$27.8K €24.3K

-4.52%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$31.4K €27.3K

-13.79%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$296 €258

-65.35%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$17.09 €14.89

-33.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$20.21 €17.60

-13.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$36.41 €31.72

43.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$11.14 €9.71

-30.97%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$674 €587

-16.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$18.1K €15.8K

-36.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$70.4 €61.3

-10.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$51.8 €45.14

-43.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$79.5 €69.3

23.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$141 €123

-37.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$229 €200

221.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$235 €205

105.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$345 €300

511.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$349 €304

251.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$576 €502

-14.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.64

20.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Tukums: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $229 in Tukums. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tukums pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Tukums for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $244 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

Tukums is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Tukums. 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 $229 in Tukums. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $674 in Tukums. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tukums – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,213 in Tukums versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tukums but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tukums the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tukums 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 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 Tukums gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.