🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,148 in Tacarigua versus $1,264 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,976 in Tacarigua versus $2,256 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,804 in Tacarigua versus $3,248 in Phuket.
🌍Living in Tacarigua costs roughly 9% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Tacarigua14% lower, Phuket5% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.29TTD 69.1
$4.48฿150
129.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.5TTD 601
$45.59฿1,521
96.36%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.85TTD 45.97
$8.76฿292
-21.80%
Cappuccino
$2.94TTD 19.73
$2.97฿99.0
-1.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05TTD 7.08
$0.69฿22.90
52.17%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73TTD 4.89
$0.39฿13.04
87.18%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.05TTD 7.02
$2.53฿84.4
-58.50%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15TTD 21.13
$3.75฿125
-16.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.89TTD 12.71
$2.15฿71.6
-12.09%
White Bread(500g)
$1.62TTD 10.85
$1.82฿60.6
-10.99%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.71TTD 18.22
$2.18฿72.9
24.31%
Eggs
$3.61TTD 24.26
$2.25฿75.0
60.44%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$3.65TTD 24.54
$20.00฿667
-81.75%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.72TTD 24.98
$3.63฿121
2.48%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.19TTD 95.3
$13.56฿452
4.65%
Apples(1kg)
$5.71TTD 38.36
$3.24฿108
76.23%
Banana(1kg)
$1.60TTD 10.74
$1.64฿54.6
-2.44%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.28TTD 28.74
$2.33฿77.8
83.69%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.61TTD 30.92
$2.07฿69.1
122.71%
Potato(1kg)
$0.95TTD 6.37
$1.55฿51.6
-38.71%
Onion(1kg)
$0.42TTD 2.82
$1.46฿48.54
-71.23%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.45TTD 9.71
$0.98฿32.86
47.96%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.41TTD 9.50
$0.48฿16.09
193.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.84TTD 39.20
$4.35฿145
34.25%
Wine(Bottle)
$17.88TTD 120
$18.57฿620
-3.72%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13TTD 14.33
$1.86฿61.9
14.52%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73TTD 18.33
$2.65฿88.6
3.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.00TTD 6.73
$1.42฿47.28
-29.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$11.57฿386
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.02TTD 6.82
$3.17฿106
-67.82%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.28TTD 8.62
$1.03฿34.41
24.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.67TTD 98.5
$13.89฿463
5.62%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.42TTD 2.81
$1.34฿44.84
-68.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9KTTD 227.4K
$27.8K฿927.1K
21.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9KTTD 220.9K
$33.4K฿1.1M
-1.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$81.1TTD 545
$123฿4,105
-34.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$46.14TTD 310
$13.77฿459
235.08%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.73TTD 247
$18.33฿611
100.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$51.7TTD 347
$60.7฿2,025
-14.81%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.16฿573
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.47TTD 50.1
$8.87฿296
-15.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$326TTD 2,187
$688฿22.9K
-52.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,288TTD 48.9K
$15.8K฿526.4K
-53.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$30.12TTD 202
$59.3฿1,978
-49.21%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.72TTD 200
$34.69฿1,157
-14.33%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$74.7TTD 501
$115฿3,843
-35.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$44.92TTD 302
$83.8฿2,794
-46.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$621฿20.7K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$364TTD 2,442
$446฿14.9K
-18.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$2,034฿67.8K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$893TTD 5,995
$1,496฿49.9K
-40.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,455฿115.3K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,531฿84.4K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tacarigua
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$494฿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: July 27, 2026
Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🛒Dining out: $90.0 in Tacarigua vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $291, with Tacarigua cheaper for home cooking.
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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,722 in Tacarigua and $1,896 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 $326 in Tacarigua versus $688 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 in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Tacarigua – a meal for two runs $90.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Tacarigua or in Phuket?
At $1,148 in Tacarigua versus $1,264 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 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.