Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tunapuna Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tunapuna

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,239 in Tunapuna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,986 in Tunapuna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,732 in Tunapuna.

Living in Phuket is roughly 2% more expensive than Tunapuna, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tunapuna 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$5.89 TTD 39.82

-22.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$72.7 TTD 492

-35.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.53 TTD 44.15

29.71%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.01 TTD 20.33

0.66%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.54 TTD 3.68

27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.45 TTD 3.05

-17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.51 TTD 10.22

64.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.00 TTD 20.31

22.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.10 TTD 14.22

3.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.69 TTD 18.18

-29.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.65 TTD 17.92

-16.98%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$4.94 TTD 33.43

-55.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.98 TTD 54.0

150.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$10.46 TTD 70.7

-65.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$14.21 TTD 96.0

-6.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$5.77 TTD 39.01

-44.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.57 TTD 17.40

-33.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$4.44 TTD 30.00

-46.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$4.70 TTD 31.75

-55.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.47 TTD 9.96

8.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.73 TTD 11.68

-14.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.90 TTD 12.87

-45.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.01 TTD 6.85

-48.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.02 TTD 33.95

-15.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$18.81 TTD 127

-0.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.50 TTD 10.15

17.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.74 TTD 18.55

0.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.06 TTD 7.16

196.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.21 TTD 8.21

-14.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$14.95 TTD 101

-7.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.01 TTD 6.81

32.67%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$33.4K TTD 225.8K

-17.12%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$38.6K TTD 260.7K

-12.19%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$80.0 TTD 541

54.45%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$47.46 TTD 321

-71.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$61.6 TTD 416

-69.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$9.71 TTD 65.7

-5.87%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$326 TTD 2,201

115.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$7,083 TTD 47.9K

124.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$59.3 TTD 401

0.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$37.95 TTD 257

-7.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$148 TTD 1,003

-22.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$58.3 TTD 394

44.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$440 TTD 2,973

40.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$389 TTD 2,630

11.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,051 TTD 7,105

96.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$714 TTD 4,827

111.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.38

-0.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tunapuna: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $440 in Tunapuna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $73.0 in Tunapuna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $361 per month, with Phuket 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 Tunapuna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,859 in Tunapuna 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $440 in Tunapuna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $326 in Tunapuna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tunapuna – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,239 in Tunapuna versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tunapuna but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tunapuna the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tunapuna 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 Tunapuna 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 Tunapuna 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.