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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,122 in Tula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,784 in Tula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,445 in Tula.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than in Tula, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Tula 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$12.66 ₽1,008

-64.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$57.1 ₽4,540

-20.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.21 ₽494

41.06%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.05 ₽163

44.88%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.38 ₽110

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.66 ₽52.6

-40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.00 ₽160

26.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.00 ₽238

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.29 ₽103

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.61 ₽48.76

198.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.71 ₽136

27.49%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.92 ₽153

17.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$12.56 ₽1,000

59.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.34 ₽425

-32.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$5.49 ₽437

146.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.85 ₽147

75.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.06 ₽164

-20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.87 ₽149

24.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.78 ₽221

-25.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.99 ₽78.8

56.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.85 ₽67.8

71.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.70 ₽135

-42.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.77 ₽61.2

-37.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.61 ₽208

66.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$7.59 ₽604

144.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.01 ₽80.2

84.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.03 ₽82.2

157.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.47 ₽37.69

202.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$17.84 ₽1,420

-35.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.37 ₽109

131.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.30 ₽23.72

243.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$8.08 ₽643

71.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.74 ₽58.8

81.08%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$23.0K ₽1.8M

20.64%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$30.8K ₽2.5M

8.24%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$152 ₽12.1K

-18.85%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$8.09 ₽644

70.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$7.93 ₽631

131.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$16.89 ₽1,344

259.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$19.35 ₽1,540

-11.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.26 ₽499

41.69%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$703 ₽56.0K

-2.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$14.4K ₽1.1M

9.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$87.5 ₽6,961

-32.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$53.0 ₽4,218

-34.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$131 ₽10.4K

-12.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$164 ₽13.0K

-48.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$384 ₽30.6K

61.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$312 ₽24.8K

43.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$698 ₽55.5K

191.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$564 ₽44.9K

165.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,954 ₽155.5K

76.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,176 ₽93.6K

115.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$977 ₽77.7K

-49.47%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tula: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $384 in Tula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tula pays 98% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $57.0 in Tula. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $200, 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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 98% lower in Tula. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $384 in Tula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $703 in Tula. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,122 in Tula versus $1,264 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 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.