🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,130 in Tacarigua versus $1,261 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,019 in Tacarigua versus $2,286 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,908 in Tacarigua versus $3,310 in Phuket.
🙂Living in Tacarigua costs roughly 10% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Tacarigua16% lower, Phuket6% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.19TTD 68.9
$4.56฿149
123.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.9TTD 601
$46.63฿1,519
90.56%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.50TTD 43.91
$8.47฿276
-23.26%
Cappuccino
$2.88TTD 19.47
$3.03฿98.6
-4.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01TTD 6.81
$0.69฿22.45
46.38%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72TTD 4.88
$0.37฿11.92
94.59%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.02TTD 6.88
$2.49฿81.0
-59.04%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08TTD 20.81
$3.66฿119
-15.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.97TTD 13.30
$2.18฿71.0
-9.63%
White Bread(500g)
$1.61TTD 10.92
$1.90฿62.0
-15.26%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.70TTD 18.27
$2.20฿71.6
22.73%
Eggs
$3.62TTD 24.50
$2.22฿72.4
63.06%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$3.61TTD 24.42
$19.99฿651
-81.94%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.75TTD 25.37
$3.66฿119
2.46%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.16TTD 95.8
$13.25฿432
6.87%
Apples(1kg)
$5.95TTD 40.25
$3.23฿105
84.21%
Banana(1kg)
$1.67TTD 11.28
$1.70฿55.3
-1.76%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.40TTD 29.75
$2.39฿78.0
84.10%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.60TTD 31.07
$2.08฿67.7
121.15%
Potato(1kg)
$0.99TTD 6.69
$1.59฿51.8
-37.74%
Onion(1kg)
$0.46TTD 3.12
$1.48฿48.31
-68.92%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.45TTD 9.78
$1.03฿33.54
40.78%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.45TTD 9.78
$0.52฿16.83
178.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.00TTD 40.57
$4.25฿138
41.18%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.48TTD 125
$18.79฿612
-1.65%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.12TTD 14.34
$1.76฿57.2
20.45%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75TTD 18.62
$2.76฿89.8
-0.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.00TTD 6.76
$1.36฿44.32
-26.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$11.36฿370
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.04TTD 7.06
$3.14฿102
-66.88%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.23TTD 8.30
$1.04฿33.74
18.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.72TTD 99.6
$13.77฿448
6.90%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.42TTD 2.87
$1.34฿43.79
-68.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.5KTTD 226.6K
$27.7K฿901.4K
21.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.1KTTD 224.0K
$33.9K฿1.1M
-2.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$81.3TTD 549
$124฿4,025
-34.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$46.59TTD 315
$13.52฿440
244.60%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.65TTD 255
$18.69฿609
101.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$51.2TTD 346
$61.8฿2,013
-17.20%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.25฿562
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.22TTD 48.85
$9.14฿298
-21.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$328TTD 2,220
$703฿22.9K
-53.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,288TTD 49.3K
$15.9K฿517.0K
-54.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$29.00TTD 196
$59.5฿1,937
-51.23%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.16TTD 204
$35.07฿1,142
-14.00%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$74.4TTD 503
$115฿3,754
-35.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$44.77TTD 303
$84.1฿2,737
-46.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$619฿20.1K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$375TTD 2,538
$433฿14.1K
-13.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$2,062฿67.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$900TTD 6,082
$1,511฿49.2K
-40.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,646฿118.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,626฿85.5K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$507฿16.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.38
5.33
0.94%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Tacarigua: June 7, 2026
Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🛒Dining out: $89.0 in Tacarigua vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $293 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
Tacarigua vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Tacarigua?
Tacarigua is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,695 in Tacarigua and $1,892 in Phuket 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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $328 in Tacarigua versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Tacarigua or Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Tacarigua – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for Tacarigua or Phuket?
At $1,130 in Tacarigua versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tacarigua but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tacarigua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Tacarigua or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Tacarigua 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.
Which city is safer, Tacarigua or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Tacarigua and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Tacarigua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.