Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarindo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarindo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,831 in Tamarindo versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,556 in Tamarindo versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Tamarindo versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Tamarindo is roughly 49% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tamarindo is 37% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 ₡4,967

$4.63 ฿151

135.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 ₡26.7K

$46.84 ฿1,532

25.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 ₡4,297

$8.84 ฿289

6.90%

Cappuccino

$3.93 ₡1,789

$3.00 ฿98.0

31.00%

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

$1.98 ₡899

$0.74 ฿24.25

167.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₡757

$0.37 ฿11.95

351.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 ₡1,395

$2.44 ฿79.8

25.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 ₡2,084

$3.61 ฿118

26.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 ₡902

$2.26 ฿73.9

-12.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 ₡1,266

$1.84 ฿60.1

51.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₡1,018

$2.24 ฿73.4

Eggs

$2.89 ₡1,313

$2.32 ฿75.7

24.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 ₡4,601

$19.67 ฿643

-48.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 ₡4,070

$3.65 ฿119

145.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.89 ₡6,314

$13.10 ฿428

6.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 ₡1,995

$3.39 ฿111

29.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 ₡656

$1.64 ฿53.7

-12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 ₡1,453

$2.41 ฿79.0

32.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 ₡1,581

$2.03 ฿66.4

71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,094

$1.56 ฿50.9

54.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 ₡1,334

$1.50 ฿48.94

95.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 ₡441

$1.02 ฿33.50

-4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 ₡1,346

$0.49 ฿16.00

504.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.98 ₡2,263

$4.45 ฿145

11.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 ₡6,111

$18.88 ฿617

-28.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₡1,108

$1.78 ฿58.1

37.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ₡1,295

$2.75 ฿90.1

3.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 ₡878

$1.40 ฿45.81

37.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.3 ₡26.1K

$11.48 ฿376

399.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 ₡818

$3.12 ฿102

-42.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 ₡849

$1.00 ฿32.67

87.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 ₡2,678

$14.09 ฿461

-58.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₡660

$1.35 ฿44.19

7.41%

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

$35.9K ₡16.3M

$27.2K ฿888.9K

32.19%

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

$33.0K ₡15.0M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

0.32%

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

$94.2 ₡42.8K

$125 ฿4,087

-24.62%

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

$22.09 ₡10.0K

$13.57 ฿444

62.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 ₡23.7K

$18.52 ฿606

181.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.4 ₡45.2K

$61.5 ฿2,010

61.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.78 ₡10.8K

$16.84 ฿551

41.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 ₡3,206

$9.19 ฿300

-23.29%

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

$523 ₡237.9K

$698 ฿22.8K

-25.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,749 ₡4.0M

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-43.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 ₡28.3K

$57.8 ฿1,889

7.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.61 ₡10.7K

$35.24 ฿1,152

-33.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ₡49.0K

$113 ฿3,699

-4.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₡49.4K

$86.4 ฿2,825

25.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 ₡812.5K

$616 ฿20.1K

190.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 ₡360.4K

$446 ฿14.6K

77.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,976 ₡1.4M

$2,048 ฿67.0K

45.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$879 ₡399.5K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-41.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,360 ₡2.4M

$3,779 ฿123.6K

41.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,276 ₡1.5M

$2,649 ฿86.6K

23.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$932 ₡423.7K

$524 ฿17.1K

77.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

68.86%

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

Last update for Tamarindo: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,787 in Tamarindo and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tamarindo pays 78% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in Tamarindo vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 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

Tamarindo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tamarindo pays 78% 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: $1,787 in Tamarindo versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $523 in Tamarindo versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Tamarindo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,831 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 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Tamarindo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.