Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tuzla Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tuzla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $894 in Tuzla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,311 in Tuzla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,728 in Tuzla.

Living in Phuket is roughly 42% more expensive than Tuzla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tuzla 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$5.19 BAM 8.72

-9.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$29.66 BAM 49.83

52.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.06 BAM 10.17

39.11%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.67 BAM 2.80

75.45%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.79 BAM 3.02

-61.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.01 BAM 1.70

-63.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.37 BAM 3.99

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.08 BAM 3.49

78.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.15 BAM 1.93

93.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.98 BAM 1.65

86.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.11 BAM 3.55

2.84%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.68 BAM 4.51

-17.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.04 BAM 13.51

145.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.50 BAM 12.61

-51.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.67 BAM 17.93

26.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.14 BAM 1.92

187.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.57 BAM 2.63

2.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.48 BAM 2.49

62.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.19 BAM 2.00

74.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.00 BAM 1.68

53.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.95 BAM 1.60

55.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.88 BAM 1.48

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.74 BAM 1.24

-31.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.57 BAM 6.00

23.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$4.09 BAM 6.87

373.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.76 BAM 1.28

134.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$0.99 BAM 1.66

173.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.51 BAM 2.53

-9.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$47.22 BAM 79.3

-75.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.81 BAM 3.05

66.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.53 BAM 0.89

86.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.74 BAM 9.64

145.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.48 BAM 2.49

-8.11%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$30.0K BAM 50.5K

-6.09%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.8K BAM 39.9K

38.48%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$137 BAM 230

-11.16%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$18.41 BAM 30.93

-26.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$26.56 BAM 44.62

-31.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$31.46 BAM 52.9

91.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$8.78 BAM 14.75

95.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.86 BAM 9.84

48.29%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$172 BAM 288

304.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$2,335 BAM 3,924

571.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$69.9 BAM 118

-14.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$41.10 BAM 69.1

-15.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$85.8 BAM 144

33.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$75.7 BAM 127

10.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$264 BAM 443

132.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$191 BAM 321

128.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$351 BAM 590

496.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$264 BAM 444

470.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,577 BAM 4,330

45.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,847 BAM 3,103

41.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$973 BAM 1,635

-47.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.23

26.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tuzla: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $264 in Tuzla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tuzla pays 92% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Tuzla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $192 per month, with Tuzla 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 Tuzla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tuzla is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tuzla earns 92% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $264 in Tuzla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $172 in Tuzla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $894 in Tuzla versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tuzla but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tuzla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tuzla 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 Tuzla 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 Tuzla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.