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 $1,117 in Tula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,752 in Tula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,386 in Tula.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than Tula, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tula 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$12.78 ₽960

-63.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$56.7 ₽4,259

-17.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.49 ₽487

36.21%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.97 ₽148

52.28%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.44 ₽108

-48.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.64 ₽47.97

-42.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.00 ₽150

22.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.09 ₽232

16.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.28 ₽96.2

76.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.65 ₽48.90

183.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.68 ₽126

33.33%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.91 ₽143

21.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$12.72 ₽955

54.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.31 ₽399

-31.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$5.34 ₽401

145.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.94 ₽146

74.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.11 ₽159

-22.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.87 ₽140

28.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.74 ₽206

-25.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.99 ₽74.0

57.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.78 ₽58.8

92.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.64 ₽123

-37.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.81 ₽60.6

-39.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.49 ₽187

78.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$8.09 ₽608

133.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.03 ₽77.5

72.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.05 ₽78.5

161.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.48 ₽35.79

191.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$17.97 ₽1,350

-36.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.36 ₽102

129.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.30 ₽22.41

233.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$8.01 ₽601

75.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.76 ₽56.8

77.63%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$23.2K ₽1.7M

17.42%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.3K ₽2.3M

8.55%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$152 ₽11.5K

-18.04%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$8.03 ₽603

68.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$7.97 ₽598

132.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$16.95 ₽1,273

262.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$19.44 ₽1,460

-13.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.28 ₽472

46.34%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$712 ₽53.5K

-1.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$14.6K ₽1.1M

6.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$88.8 ₽6,671

-34.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$52.2 ₽3,917

-32.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$131 ₽9,825

-13.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$161 ₽12.1K

-46.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$385 ₽28.9K

59.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$317 ₽23.8K

40.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$707 ₽53.1K

189.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$576 ₽43.3K

159.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,993 ₽149.7K

89.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,186 ₽89.1K

123.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,015 ₽76.2K

-48.38%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tula: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $385 in Tula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tula pays 94% 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 $57.0 in Tula. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $202, 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tula earns 94% 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 $385 in Tula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $712 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 $1,117 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 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.