Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamuning and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamuning and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,859 in Tamuning versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,885 in Tamuning versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,912 in Tamuning versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Tamuning is roughly 126% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tamuning is 113% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.71 $14.71

$4.70 ฿153

212.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 $66.9

$45.37 ฿1,482

47.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$8.43 ฿275

75.09%

Cappuccino

$6.26 $6.26

$2.93 ฿95.6

113.65%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$0.69 ฿22.40

327.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$0.37 ฿11.99

351.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.57 $7.57

$2.41 ฿78.6

214.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.40 $13.40

$3.72 ฿122

260.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.23 ฿72.9

59.64%

White Bread (500g)

$6.75 $6.75

$1.83 ฿59.8

268.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.17 ฿70.8

11.52%

Eggs

$7.57 $7.57

$2.21 ฿72.3

242.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 $8.23

$3.63 ฿119

126.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

Apples (1kg)

$8.19 $8.19

$3.28 ฿107

149.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.61 ฿52.6

87.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.41 ฿78.6

98.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.04 $8.04

$2.08 ฿68.1

286.54%

Potato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.53 ฿49.93

180.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.48 ฿48.36

140.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.99 ฿32.29

194.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.45 $9.45

$4.41 ฿144

114.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.20 $12.20

$19.38 ฿633

-37.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$22.64 $22.64

$3.02 ฿98.6

649.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.36 ฿44.51

3.68%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.42%

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

$505 $505

$122 ฿3,975

315.29%

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

$74.3 $74.3

$13.57 ฿443

447.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$130 $130

$18.31 ฿598

611.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.76 $34.76

$60.2 ฿1,967

-42.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$8.69 ฿284

73.88%

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

$401 $401

$693 ฿22.6K

-42.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.11 $49.11

$59.5 ฿1,944

-17.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 $39.69

$34.77 ฿1,136

14.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 $70.0

$115 ฿3,743

-38.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 $1,819

$613 ฿20.0K

196.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 $1,286

$437 ฿14.3K

194.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,375 $2,375

$2,094 ฿68.4K

13.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 $1,980

$1,509 ฿49.3K

31.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.33

-20.83%

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

Last update for Tamuning: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,819 in Tamuning and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Tamuning vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $293 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

Tamuning vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,288 in Tamuning and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,819 in Tamuning versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $401 in Tamuning versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $67.0 in Tamuning. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,859 in Tamuning, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tamuning. 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 Tamuning, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tamuning 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 126% less than in Tamuning. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.