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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $984 in Tunapuna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,736 in Tunapuna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,488 in Tunapuna.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than in Tunapuna, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Tunapuna 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.49 TTD 70.6

-57.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$74.4 TTD 500

-56.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$8.05 TTD 54.2

10.93%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.76 TTD 25.29

-22.87%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.00 TTD 6.70

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.77 TTD 5.16

-37.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.80 TTD 12.09

30.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.90 TTD 19.50

28.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.08 TTD 13.97

-10.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.26 TTD 15.21

-34.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.89 TTD 19.42

-46.37%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$3.82 TTD 25.67

-45.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.77 TTD 45.53

189.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$10.19 TTD 68.6

-66.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$8.95 TTD 60.2

27.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.57 TTD 37.46

-46.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.46 TTD 16.56

-31.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$3.62 TTD 24.33

-38.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.19 TTD 28.17

-48.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.71 TTD 4.80

114.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.71 TTD 4.75

88.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.45 TTD 9.75

-22.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.16 TTD 7.83

-52.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.23 TTD 35.21

-18.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$19.07 TTD 128

0.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.56 TTD 10.48

14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.05 TTD 20.53

-8.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.90 TTD 6.07

236.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.87 TTD 5.83

17.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$14.53 TTD 97.8

-73.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.12 TTD 7.57

33.04%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$37.3K TTD 251.1K

-28.76%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$41.0K TTD 275.6K

-34.01%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$44.82 TTD 302

128.63%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$42.35 TTD 285

-73.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$44.63 TTD 300

-61.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$8.67 TTD 58.3

-11.30%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$402 TTD 2,707

39.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$10.8K TTD 72.5K

6.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$55.1 TTD 371

14.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$36.82 TTD 248

-19.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$88.9 TTD 598

10.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$59.4 TTD 400

48.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$280 TTD 1,886

163.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$240 TTD 1,615

100.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$675 TTD 4,542

212.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$590 TTD 3,969

107.81%

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

5.75

-3.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Tunapuna: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $280 in Tunapuna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $74.0 in Tunapuna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $322 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 Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,475 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: $738 in Phuket versus $280 in Tunapuna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $402 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 $74.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $984 in Tunapuna versus $1,232 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 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.