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: $1,810 in Tamarindo versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,518 in Tamarindo versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,227 in Tamarindo versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Tamarindo is roughly 43% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tamarindo is 36% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.87 ₡4,873

$4.48 ฿150

142.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 ₡26.6K

$45.59 ฿1,521

30.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 ₡4,326

$8.76 ฿292

10.16%

Cappuccino

$3.82 ₡1,714

$2.97 ฿99.0

28.62%

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

$2.04 ₡914

$0.69 ฿22.90

195.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₡719

$0.39 ฿13.04

310.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.53 ฿84.4

14.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ₡2,063

$3.75 ฿125

22.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₡892

$2.15 ฿71.6

-7.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 ₡1,299

$1.82 ฿60.6

59.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₡1,007

$2.18 ฿72.9

3.21%

Eggs

$2.91 ₡1,304

$2.25 ฿75.0

29.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 ₡4,496

$20.00 ฿667

-49.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 ₡4,155

$3.63 ฿121

155.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.77 ₡6,174

$13.56 ฿452

1.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 ₡2,030

$3.24 ฿108

39.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₡653

$1.64 ฿54.6

-10.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ₡1,445

$2.33 ฿77.8

38.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 ₡1,595

$2.07 ฿69.1

71.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 ₡1,023

$1.55 ฿51.6

47.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 ₡1,325

$1.46 ฿48.54

102.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₡459

$0.98 ฿32.86

4.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 ₡1,312

$0.48 ฿16.09

510.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 ₡2,258

$4.35 ฿145

15.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 ₡5,942

$18.57 ฿620

-28.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₡1,084

$1.86 ฿61.9

30.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,265

$2.65 ฿88.6

6.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 ₡823

$1.42 ฿47.28

28.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 ₡25.8K

$11.57 ฿386

396.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₡827

$3.17 ฿106

-41.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 ₡808

$1.03 ฿34.41

74.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 ₡2,538

$13.89 ฿463

-59.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₡655

$1.34 ฿44.84

8.96%

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

$35.3K ₡15.8M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

27.03%

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

$32.0K ₡14.3M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-4.21%

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

$94.7 ₡42.5K

$123 ฿4,105

-23.05%

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

$22.43 ₡10.1K

$13.77 ฿459

62.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 ₡23.5K

$18.33 ฿611

185.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.9 ₡43.4K

$60.7 ฿2,025

59.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.49 ₡10.5K

$17.16 ฿573

36.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.00 ₡3,138

$8.87 ฿296

-21.08%

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

$518 ₡232.4K

$688 ฿22.9K

-24.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,836 ₡4.0M

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-44.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ₡27.7K

$59.3 ฿1,978

4.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.24 ₡10.9K

$34.69 ฿1,157

-30.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 ₡48.8K

$115 ฿3,843

-5.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₡48.1K

$83.8 ฿2,794

28.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 ₡340.6K

$621 ฿20.7K

22.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 ₡355.6K

$446 ฿14.9K

77.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,971 ₡1.3M

$2,034 ฿67.8K

46.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 ₡393.9K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-41.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,406 ₡2.4M

$3,455 ฿115.3K

56.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,230 ₡1.4M

$2,531 ฿84.4K

27.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$953 ₡427.4K

$494 ฿16.5K

93.09%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $759 in Tamarindo and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tamarindo pays 93% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $291 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 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 93% 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: $759 in Tamarindo versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $518 in Tamarindo versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Tamarindo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,810 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 43% less than in Tamarindo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.