Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarindo and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,114 in Tamarindo, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Tamarindo
Learn more

Tamarindo Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Tamarindo

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,114

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tamarindo and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tamarindo and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,114 in Tamarindo versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Tamarindo $2,114
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,090 in Tamarindo versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Tamarindo $3,090
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,066 in Tamarindo versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Tamarindo $4,066
Phuket $3,154

Living in Tamarindo is roughly 65% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tamarindo is 55% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,583

$4.47 ฿151

176.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 ₡28.0K

$32.41 ฿1,093

91.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 ₡5,329

$8.81 ฿297

33.94%

Cappuccino

$4.42 ₡1,995

$2.83 ฿95.4

56.18%

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

$2.72 ₡1,228

$0.87 ฿29.41

212.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡833

$0.49 ฿16.65

275.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ₡1,526

$2.56 ฿86.3

32.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,992

$3.68 ฿124

19.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₡1,045

$1.66 ฿55.9

39.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,431

$1.46 ฿49.31

117.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 ₡1,138

$1.50 ฿50.5

68.00%

Eggs

$3.55 ₡1,604

$2.09 ฿70.5

69.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.58 ₡4,775

$19.07 ฿643

-44.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.30 ₡4,650

$3.30 ฿111

212.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 ₡6,388

$10.91 ฿368

29.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 ₡2,356

$2.93 ฿98.9

78.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₡748

$1.69 ฿57.0

-1.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 ₡1,609

$2.25 ฿75.8

58.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 ₡1,728

$2.08 ฿70.0

84.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 ₡1,180

$1.51 ฿51.0

72.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 ₡1,608

$1.38 ฿46.52

157.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡483

$1.07 ฿35.96

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₡1,386

$0.52 ฿17.51

490.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 ₡2,306

$4.20 ฿142

21.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 ₡6,025

$18.79 ฿634

-28.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,305

$1.82 ฿61.5

58.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ₡1,341

$2.84 ฿95.8

4.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.11 ₡954

$1.45 ฿48.98

45.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 ₡38.0K

$56.7 ฿1,912

48.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ₡1,083

$3.02 ฿102

-20.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡737

$1.02 ฿34.33

59.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 ₡3,021

$3.69 ฿125

81.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡681

$1.47 ฿49.76

2.72%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$26.8K ฿903.4K

28.66%

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

$36.5K ₡16.5M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

36.73%

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

$96.4 ₡43.5K

$96.4 ฿3,251

0.03%

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

$30.50 ₡13.8K

$11.26 ฿380

170.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 ₡26.8K

$16.85 ฿568

251.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ₡45.9K

$67.2 ฿2,268

51.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.43 ₡11.9K

$10.73 ฿362

146.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 ₡3,488

$7.50 ฿253

3.07%

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

$572 ₡258.4K

$476 ฿16.1K

20.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,152 ₡4.1M

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-18.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 ₡32.4K

$62.4 ฿2,104

15.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.50 ₡12.0K

$28.41 ฿958

-6.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₡53.4K

$94.3 ฿3,181

25.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.4K

$85.8 ฿2,895

55.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 ₡864.6K

$716 ฿24.2K

167.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$941 ₡424.7K

$491 ฿16.6K

91.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,713 ₡1.2M

$1,927 ฿65.0K

40.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡630.2K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-2.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,329 ₡2.4M

$4,175 ฿140.9K

27.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,241 ₡1.5M

$3,045 ฿102.7K

6.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$950 ₡428.9K

$502 ฿16.9K

89.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.57

54.76%

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

Last update for Tamarindo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tamarindo

$941 44.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 47.8% $450

Groceries & Markets

Tamarindo

$377 17.9%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 29.5% $111

Eating Out

Tamarindo

$231 11%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 47.4% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tamarindo

$186 8.8%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 33.1% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Tamarindo

$158 7.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 22.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Tamarindo

$117 5.5%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 29.8% $35

Getting Around

Tamarindo

$103 4.9%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 31.5% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,915 in Tamarindo and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tamarindo pays 89% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Tamarindo vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Tamarindo

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

10:47 10:47 AM

23:47 11:47 PM

13 h ahead of Tamarindo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tamarindo Phuket 17,940 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Tamarindo
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Tamarindo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 89% higher in Tamarindo, 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: $1,915 in Tamarindo versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $572 in Tamarindo versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Tamarindo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,114 in Tamarindo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tamarindo. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tamarindo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tamarindo and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Tamarindo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.