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: $1,068 in Tapa versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,672 in Tapa versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,276 in Tapa versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Tapa costs roughly 13% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tapa 20% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €14.57

$4.63 ฿151

267.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.3

$46.84 ฿1,532

47.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 €8.39

$8.84 ฿289

10.86%

Cappuccino

$3.69 €3.16

$3.00 ฿98.0

23.00%

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

$2.54 €2.18

$0.74 ฿24.25

243.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.33

$0.37 ฿11.95

635.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.57

$2.44 ฿79.8

118.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 €5.00

$3.61 ฿118

62.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.12

$2.26 ฿73.9

-42.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.32

$1.84 ฿60.1

-15.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 €2.04

$2.24 ฿73.4

6.25%

Eggs

$2.82 €2.41

$2.32 ฿75.7

21.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 €10.79

$19.67 ฿643

-35.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.81 €7.54

$3.65 ฿119

141.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 €9.62

$13.10 ฿428

-14.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 €1.62

$3.39 ฿111

-43.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.64 ฿53.7

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 €2.05

$2.41 ฿79.0

-0.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.13

$2.03 ฿66.4

22.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 €0.86

$1.56 ฿50.9

-35.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.50 ฿48.94

-23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.02 ฿33.50

103.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.91

$0.49 ฿16.00

116.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.46 €5.53

$4.45 ฿145

45.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 €9.38

$18.88 ฿617

-41.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.78 ฿58.1

14.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.86

$2.75 ฿90.1

-20.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 €2.79

$3.12 ฿102

4.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 €0.59

$1.00 ฿32.67

-31.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.42 €17.48

$14.09 ฿461

44.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.64

$1.35 ฿44.19

42.22%

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

$29.5K €25.2K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

8.43%

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

$31.1K €26.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-5.45%

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

$272 €233

$125 ฿4,087

117.72%

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

$22.36 €19.14

$13.57 ฿444

64.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.04 €30.85

$18.52 ฿606

94.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 €9.73

$9.19 ฿300

23.72%

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

$117 €100

$698 ฿22.8K

-83.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,312 €7,115

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-46.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 €104

$57.8 ฿1,889

111.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 €34.35

$35.24 ฿1,152

13.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 €84.2

$113 ฿3,699

-13.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €91.8

$86.4 ฿2,825

24.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $69.0 in Tapa vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $292, 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 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,602 in Tapa and $1,847 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 $698 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 $69.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,068 in Tapa versus $1,232 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 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.