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: $955 in Tamarin versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,638 in Tamarin versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,321 in Tamarin versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Tamarin costs roughly 22% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tamarin 30% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 MUR 273

$4.41 ฿147

30.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.06 MUR 1,808

$32.26 ฿1,073

17.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 MUR 340

$8.93 ฿297

-19.93%

Cappuccino

$2.62 MUR 125

$2.90 ฿96.3

-9.66%

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

$1.15 MUR 54.4

$0.88 ฿29.27

30.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 MUR 31.15

$0.48 ฿16.00

37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 MUR 129

$2.35 ฿78.2

15.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 MUR 82.8

$3.72 ฿124

-53.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MUR 70.6

$1.87 ฿62.0

-20.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 MUR 9.50

$1.47 ฿48.75

-86.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 MUR 55.2

$1.55 ฿51.6

-25.16%

Eggs

$2.41 MUR 114

$2.10 ฿69.9

14.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.88 MUR 185

$19.59 ฿651

-80.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 MUR 295

$3.42 ฿114

81.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 MUR 534

$11.38 ฿378

-1.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 MUR 106

$2.98 ฿99.2

-25.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 MUR 104

$1.68 ฿56.0

30.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 MUR 69.2

$2.21 ฿73.5

-33.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 MUR 139

$2.16 ฿71.9

35.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 45.19

$1.52 ฿50.7

-37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 47.97

$1.34 ฿44.49

-24.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 MUR 35.23

$1.13 ฿37.53

-34.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MUR 39.54

$0.55 ฿18.17

50.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.13 MUR 291

$4.26 ฿142

43.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 MUR 396

$19.09 ฿635

-56.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MUR 77.0

$1.78 ฿59.2

-8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 MUR 88.9

$2.78 ฿92.5

-32.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 MUR 39.33

$2.23 ฿74.1

-62.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.27 MUR 203

$3.03 ฿101

40.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 MUR 152

$1.02 ฿34.02

213.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 MUR 304

$3.89 ฿129

64.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MUR 62.9

$1.49 ฿49.57

-10.74%

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

$29.7K MUR 1.4M

$26.6K ฿883.8K

11.59%

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

$31.7K MUR 1.5M

$27.0K ฿898.7K

17.30%

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

$45.05 MUR 2,140

$102 ฿3,407

-56.04%

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

$10.74 MUR 510

$11.33 ฿377

-5.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.92 MUR 1,374

$17.40 ฿578

66.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.04 MUR 1,997

$52.1 ฿1,732

-19.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 MUR 305

$7.69 ฿256

-16.51%

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

$130 MUR 6,157

$561 ฿18.6K

-76.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,114 MUR 147.9K

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-72.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 MUR 2,657

$63.0 ฿2,096

-11.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.81 MUR 2,176

$29.52 ฿982

55.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 MUR 4,065

$98.0 ฿3,259

-12.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 MUR 2,805

$88.5 ฿2,943

-33.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 MUR 35.8K

$738 ฿24.5K

2.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 MUR 17.5K

$482 ฿16.0K

-23.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 MUR 66.5K

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-33.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 MUR 43.1K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-25.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$844 MUR 40.1K

$494 ฿16.4K

71.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.57

19.75%

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

Last update for Tamarin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $754 in Tamarin and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tamarin pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Tamarin vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $199 vs $274, with Tamarin 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

Tamarin vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tamarin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 71% higher in Tamarin, 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: $754 in Tamarin versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $130 in Tamarin versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tamarin – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $955 in Tamarin versus $1,232 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 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.