🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,159 in Tacarigua versus $1,232 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,005 in Tacarigua versus $2,255 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,851 in Tacarigua versus $3,279 in Phuket.
🙂Living in Tacarigua costs roughly 6% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Tacarigua13% lower, Phuket8% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.30TTD 70.0
$4.63฿151
122.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.8TTD 603
$46.84฿1,523
89.47%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.78TTD 46.01
$8.84฿287
-23.30%
Cappuccino
$3.03TTD 20.58
$3.00฿97.4
1.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01TTD 6.84
$0.74฿24.11
36.49%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72TTD 4.90
$0.37฿11.88
94.59%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.05TTD 7.16
$2.44฿79.3
-56.97%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13TTD 21.26
$3.61฿117
-13.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.90TTD 12.88
$2.26฿73.5
-15.93%
White Bread(500g)
$1.67TTD 11.35
$1.84฿59.8
-9.24%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.59TTD 17.58
$2.24฿73.0
15.62%
Eggs
$3.60TTD 24.42
$2.32฿75.3
55.17%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$3.59TTD 24.37
$19.67฿639
-81.75%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.69TTD 25.05
$3.65฿119
1.10%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.51TTD 98.5
$13.10฿426
10.76%
Apples(1kg)
$5.66TTD 38.42
$3.39฿110
66.96%
Banana(1kg)
$1.67TTD 11.33
$1.64฿53.4
1.83%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.43TTD 30.10
$2.41฿78.5
83.82%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.77TTD 32.38
$2.03฿66.0
134.98%
Potato(1kg)
$0.96TTD 6.54
$1.56฿50.6
-38.46%
Onion(1kg)
$0.46TTD 3.12
$1.50฿48.66
-69.33%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.52TTD 10.29
$1.02฿33.30
49.02%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.41TTD 9.60
$0.49฿15.91
187.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.07TTD 41.19
$4.45฿145
36.40%
Wine(Bottle)
$19.49TTD 132
$18.88฿614
3.23%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22TTD 15.04
$1.78฿57.7
24.72%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78TTD 18.90
$2.75฿89.5
1.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.00TTD 6.81
$1.40฿45.54
-28.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$11.48฿373
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.02TTD 6.91
$3.12฿101
-67.31%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.27TTD 8.60
$1.00฿32.48
27.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.83TTD 101
$14.09฿458
5.25%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.46TTD 3.13
$1.35฿43.93
-65.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1KTTD 231.9K
$27.2K฿883.7K
25.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.1KTTD 224.6K
$32.9K฿1.1M
0.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$81.6TTD 554
$125฿4,063
-34.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$45.92TTD 312
$13.57฿441
238.39%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.90TTD 251
$18.52฿602
99.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$51.2TTD 347
$61.5฿1,999
-16.75%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.84฿547
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.20TTD 48.90
$9.19฿299
-21.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$325TTD 2,207
$698฿22.7K
-53.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,240TTD 49.2K
$15.6K฿506.9K
-53.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$29.63TTD 201
$57.8฿1,878
-48.70%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.02TTD 204
$35.24฿1,146
-14.81%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$75.3TTD 511
$113฿3,677
-33.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$43.56TTD 296
$86.4฿2,808
-49.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$616฿20.0K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$375TTD 2,548
$446฿14.5K
-15.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$2,048฿66.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$877TTD 5,958
$1,492฿48.5K
-41.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,779฿122.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,649฿86.1K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$524฿17.0K
-
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: April 27, 2026
Last update for Phuket: April 27, 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 $296 vs $292 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 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,739 in Tacarigua and $1,847 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 $325 in Tacarigua versus $698 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 $1,159 in Tacarigua versus $1,232 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 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.