Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarin and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarin and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,024 in Tamarin versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,710 in Tamarin versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,396 in Tamarin versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Tamarin costs roughly 19% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tamarin 24% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 MUR 304

$4.56 ฿149

41.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.92 MUR 1,974

$46.63 ฿1,519

-10.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 MUR 260

$8.47 ฿276

-34.95%

Cappuccino

$2.58 MUR 122

$3.03 ฿98.6

-14.85%

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

$0.84 MUR 39.63

$0.69 ฿22.45

21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 MUR 27.92

$0.37 ฿11.92

59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 MUR 79.7

$2.49 ฿81.0

-32.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 MUR 81.7

$3.66 ฿119

-52.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MUR 70.0

$2.18 ฿71.0

-31.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.40 MUR 18.77

$1.90 ฿62.0

-78.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MUR 61.8

$2.20 ฿71.6

-40.45%

Eggs

$2.11 MUR 99.5

$2.22 ฿72.4

-4.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.35 MUR 252

$19.99 ฿651

-73.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 MUR 294

$3.66 ฿119

70.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 MUR 453

$13.25 ฿432

-27.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 MUR 97.6

$3.23 ฿105

-35.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 MUR 92.7

$1.70 ฿55.3

15.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 MUR 68.7

$2.39 ฿78.0

-38.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 MUR 126

$2.08 ฿67.7

28.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 MUR 48.09

$1.59 ฿51.8

-35.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 46.33

$1.48 ฿48.31

-33.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 MUR 36.82

$1.03 ฿33.54

-24.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 MUR 37.96

$0.52 ฿16.83

55.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.49 MUR 306

$4.25 ฿138

52.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 MUR 397

$18.79 ฿612

-55.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MUR 80.5

$1.76 ฿57.2

-2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 MUR 76.1

$2.76 ฿89.8

-41.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 MUR 55.5

$1.36 ฿44.32

-13.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.99 MUR 517

$11.36 ฿370

-3.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 MUR 211

$3.14 ฿102

42.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 MUR 129

$1.04 ฿33.74

163.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 MUR 315

$13.77 ฿448

-51.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MUR 61.6

$1.34 ฿43.79

-2.24%

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

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

2.34%

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

$27.4K MUR 1.3M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-19.19%

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

$49.29 MUR 2,321

$124 ฿4,025

-60.12%

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

$16.05 MUR 756

$13.52 ฿440

18.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.43 MUR 1,433

$18.69 ฿609

62.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 MUR 2,396

$61.8 ฿2,013

-17.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.10 MUR 523

$17.25 ฿562

-35.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.12 MUR 288

$9.14 ฿298

-33.04%

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

$153 MUR 7,186

$703 ฿22.9K

-78.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,115 MUR 146.7K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-80.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 MUR 2,789

$59.5 ฿1,937

-0.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.35 MUR 2,230

$35.07 ฿1,142

35.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 MUR 4,103

$115 ฿3,754

-24.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 MUR 2,794

$84.1 ฿2,737

-29.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 MUR 36.8K

$619 ฿20.1K

26.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 MUR 18.3K

$433 ฿14.1K

-10.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 MUR 68.4K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-29.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 MUR 43.6K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-38.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$851 MUR 40.1K

$507 ฿16.5K

67.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.57%

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

Last update for Tamarin: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $781 in Tamarin and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tamarin pays 68% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Tamarin vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $293 per month, with Tamarin 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

Tamarin vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tamarin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tamarin pays 68% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $781 in Tamarin versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $153 in Tamarin versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,024 in Tamarin versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tamarin but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tamarin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tamarin 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, Tamarin 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.

Expats usually find Tamarin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.