Cost of Living Comparison Between Tapa and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tapa and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,062 in Tapa versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,659 in Tapa versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,257 in Tapa versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Tapa costs roughly 16% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tapa 20% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 €15.07

$4.48 ฿150

285.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.7

$45.59 ฿1,525

50.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 €8.73

$8.76 ฿293

14.38%

Cappuccino

$3.77 €3.28

$2.97 ฿99.3

26.94%

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

$2.48 €2.16

$0.69 ฿22.96

259.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.36

$0.39 ฿13.07

594.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 €4.45

$2.53 ฿84.7

101.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 €5.20

$3.75 ฿125

58.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.13

$2.15 ฿71.8

-39.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.82 ฿60.7

-18.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.18 ฿73.1

4.59%

Eggs

$2.99 €2.60

$2.25 ฿75.2

32.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 €10.93

$20.00 ฿669

-37.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 €7.75

$3.63 ฿121

144.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.42 €9.95

$13.56 ฿453

-15.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 €1.71

$3.24 ฿109

-39.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.64 ฿54.7

-4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 €2.09

$2.33 ฿78.0

3.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.18

$2.07 ฿69.3

20.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 €0.87

$1.55 ฿51.8

-35.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 €0.96

$1.46 ฿48.67

-24.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.98 ฿32.94

109.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.92

$0.48 ฿16.13

120.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 €5.69

$4.35 ฿146

50.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.35 €9.02

$18.57 ฿621

-44.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.77

$1.86 ฿62.1

9.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.65 ฿88.8

-20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 €2.86

$3.17 ฿106

3.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 €0.64

$1.03 ฿34.51

-28.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.58 €17.94

$13.89 ฿465

48.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 €1.69

$1.34 ฿44.96

44.78%

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

$29.4K €25.6K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

5.65%

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

$31.3K €27.3K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-6.17%

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

$276 €240

$123 ฿4,116

124.05%

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

$22.41 €19.54

$13.77 ฿461

62.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.08 €31.46

$18.33 ฿613

96.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €10.10

$8.87 ฿297

30.55%

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

$117 €102

$688 ฿23.0K

-82.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,047 €7,016

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-49.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$121 €106

$59.3 ฿1,984

104.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.10 €34.08

$34.69 ฿1,160

12.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €87.6

$115 ฿3,853

-12.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €94.7

$83.8 ฿2,802

29.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

5.33

-19.32%

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

Last update for Tapa: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68.0 in Tapa vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $291, with Tapa 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

Tapa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tapa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,593 in Tapa and $1,896 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.

Childcare runs $117 in Tapa versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tapa – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,062 in Tapa versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tapa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tapa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tapa 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, Tapa 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 Tapa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.