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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $891 in Tuzla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,315 in Tuzla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,738 in Tuzla.

Living in Phuket is roughly 40% more expensive than in Tuzla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.24 BAM 8.98

-13.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$29.47 BAM 50.5

56.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.84 BAM 10.01

51.37%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.67 BAM 2.85

83.23%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.75 BAM 3.00

-58.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.06 BAM 1.81

-62.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.40 BAM 4.11

1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.09 BAM 3.58

80.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.17 BAM 2.00

93.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.02 BAM 1.74

77.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.11 BAM 3.61

6.64%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.54 BAM 4.34

-11.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.07 BAM 13.82

141.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.56 BAM 12.95

-51.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.65 BAM 18.23

22.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.13 BAM 1.93

185.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.58 BAM 2.70

2.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.48 BAM 2.54

60.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.17 BAM 2.00

73.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.92 BAM 1.57

66.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.90 BAM 1.55

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.83 BAM 1.41

18.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.70 BAM 1.20

-25.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.71 BAM 6.35

19.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$4.00 BAM 6.85

358.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.76 BAM 1.31

144.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$0.94 BAM 1.62

185.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.49 BAM 2.55

-5.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$47.53 BAM 81.4

-75.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.76 BAM 3.01

76.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.56 BAM 0.95

85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.03 BAM 10.32

134.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.45 BAM 2.49

-9.66%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$29.4K BAM 50.4K

-5.42%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$23.5K BAM 40.3K

41.07%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$139 BAM 239

-12.16%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$18.26 BAM 31.27

-25.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$26.70 BAM 45.73

-29.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$31.24 BAM 53.5

93.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$8.98 BAM 15.38

89.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.82 BAM 9.96

55.84%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$170 BAM 291

315.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$2,385 BAM 4,085

562.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$70.0 BAM 120

-16.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$40.65 BAM 69.6

-13.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$85.8 BAM 147

34.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$74.8 BAM 128

11.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$263 BAM 450

138.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$192 BAM 328

132.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$351 BAM 602

480.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$263 BAM 450

467.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,489 BAM 4,264

39.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,807 BAM 3,095

42.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$953 BAM 1,632

-47.54%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tuzla: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $263 in Tuzla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tuzla pays 91% 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 $29.00 in Tuzla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $191 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 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Tuzla. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $263 in Tuzla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $170 in Tuzla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $891 in Tuzla versus $1,250 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 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.