Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tula Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tula

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,121 in Tula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,756 in Tula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,391 in Tula.

Living in Phuket is roughly 12% more expensive than Tula, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tula 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$12.80 ₽927

-64.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$57.6 ₽4,172

-19.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.51 ₽472

30.11%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.00 ₽145

51.50%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.39 ₽101

-50.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.68 ₽49.06

-45.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.05 ₽149

21.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.06 ₽222

19.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.30 ₽94.0

67.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.65 ₽47.24

192.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.67 ₽121

31.74%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.87 ₽136

18.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$12.53 ₽908

59.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.53 ₽400

-33.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$5.60 ₽406

136.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.89 ₽137

70.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.05 ₽148

-17.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.84 ₽134

29.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.71 ₽196

-23.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.99 ₽71.4

60.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.81 ₽58.5

82.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.71 ₽124

-39.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.81 ₽58.8

-35.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.61 ₽189

62.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.10 ₽587

131.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.99 ₽71.8

77.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.01 ₽73.1

173.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.45 ₽32.56

202.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$17.46 ₽1,265

-34.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.37 ₽99.1

129.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.32 ₽23.21

225.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$8.26 ₽599

66.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.73 ₽53.0

83.56%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$23.0K ₽1.7M

20.17%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$30.8K ₽2.2M

9.83%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$151 ₽11.0K

-18.30%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$8.06 ₽584

67.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$8.12 ₽588

130.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$16.51 ₽1,196

274.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$19.44 ₽1,408

-11.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.19 ₽449

47.66%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$686 ₽49.7K

2.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$14.7K ₽1.1M

7.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$86.4 ₽6,261

-31.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$52.4 ₽3,798

-33.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$131 ₽9,498

-12.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$162 ₽11.7K

-48.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$376 ₽27.2K

64.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$313 ₽22.7K

38.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$712 ₽51.6K

189.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$575 ₽41.7K

162.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,038 ₽147.7K

78.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,245 ₽90.2K

110.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,034 ₽74.9K

-50.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

14.86

-64.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tula: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $376 in Tula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tula pays 104% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $58.0 in Tula. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $203, with Tula 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 Tula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tula is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tula earns 104% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $376 in Tula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $686 in Tula. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,121 in Tula versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tula but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tula the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tula 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 Tula 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 Tula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.