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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $878 in Tula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,423 in Tula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,969 in Tula.

Living in Phuket is roughly 40% more expensive than in Tula, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Tula 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$11.74 ₽992

-62.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$59.7 ₽5,042

-45.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.07 ₽597

26.31%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.71 ₽313

-21.83%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.53 ₽129

-42.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.82 ₽69.4

-41.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$4.86 ₽411

-51.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.75 ₽401

-21.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.21 ₽102

54.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.98 ₽83.2

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.62 ₽137

-4.32%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.86 ₽157

12.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$13.56 ₽1,146

44.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.45 ₽545

-46.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$11.75 ₽993

-3.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.01 ₽170

48.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.75 ₽148

-4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.00 ₽169

10.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.04 ₽341

-46.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.85 ₽71.8

78.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.66 ₽56.1

103.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.61 ₽136

-29.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.90 ₽76.2

-38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.27 ₽277

30.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$11.66 ₽985

63.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.15 ₽96.8

54.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.39 ₽202

16.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.52 ₽43.71

328.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.82 ₽154

66.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.72 ₽61.0

41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$10.68 ₽903

-63.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.82 ₽69.5

81.71%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$38.1K ₽3.2M

-30.18%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$38.1K ₽3.2M

-29.13%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$158 ₽13.4K

-35.20%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$8.40 ₽710

34.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$9.63 ₽814

80.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$8.26 ₽698

-6.90%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$774 ₽65.4K

-27.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$25.3K ₽2.1M

-54.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$105 ₽8,883

-40.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$61.7 ₽5,209

-52.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$145 ₽12.2K

-32.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$174 ₽14.7K

-49.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

19.52

-71.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Tula: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $60.0 in Tula. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $248, 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,317 in Tula 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.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $774 in Tula. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tula – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $878 in Tula versus $1,232 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 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.