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: $1,075 in Tapa versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,677 in Tapa versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,278 in Tapa versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Tapa costs roughly 15% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tapa 20% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.47 €15.05

$4.56 ฿149

283.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.0

$46.63 ฿1,519

46.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.64 €8.31

$8.47 ฿276

13.81%

Cappuccino

$3.61 €3.11

$3.03 ฿98.6

19.14%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$0.69 ฿22.45

260.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.43

$0.37 ฿11.92

662.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.17 €4.46

$2.49 ฿81.0

107.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 €5.00

$3.66 ฿119

58.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.13

$2.18 ฿71.0

-39.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.90 ฿62.0

-21.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 €2.06

$2.20 ฿71.6

8.64%

Eggs

$2.93 €2.52

$2.22 ฿72.4

31.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 €10.48

$19.99 ฿651

-39.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 €7.46

$3.66 ฿119

136.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.20 €9.65

$13.25 ฿432

-15.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 €1.65

$3.23 ฿105

-40.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.70 ฿55.3

-7.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 €2.09

$2.39 ฿78.0

1.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.08 ฿67.7

13.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.59 ฿51.8

-36.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 €0.94

$1.48 ฿48.31

-26.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.03 ฿33.54

100.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.86

$0.52 ฿16.83

92.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.27 €5.40

$4.25 ฿138

47.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.40 €8.96

$18.79 ฿612

-44.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.76 ฿57.2

15.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.76 ฿89.8

-23.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 €2.87

$3.14 ฿102

6.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 €0.63

$1.04 ฿33.74

-29.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.18 €17.39

$13.77 ฿448

46.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.34 ฿43.79

40.30%

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

$29.0K €25.0K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

4.85%

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

$30.9K €26.7K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-8.65%

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

$267 €230

$124 ฿4,025

115.88%

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

$22.62 €19.49

$13.52 ฿440

67.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.30 €31.28

$18.69 ฿609

94.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 €10.15

$9.14 ฿298

28.88%

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

$119 €102

$703 ฿22.9K

-83.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,355 €7,198

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-47.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$121 €104

$59.5 ฿1,937

103.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.10 €34.55

$35.07 ฿1,142

14.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €85.9

$115 ฿3,754

-13.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €94.0

$84.1 ฿2,737

29.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68.0 in Tapa vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $293, 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 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,612 in Tapa and $1,892 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 $119 in Tapa versus $703 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 $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,075 in Tapa versus $1,261 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 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.