Cost of Living Comparison Between Taree and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Taree and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,588 in Taree versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,630 in Taree versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,671 in Taree versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Taree is roughly 105% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taree is 88% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.79 A$24.87

$4.66 ฿154

281.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 A$119

$32.22 ฿1,066

164.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 A$14.93

$8.68 ฿287

23.04%

Cappuccino

$4.20 A$5.87

$2.90 ฿95.9

44.83%

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

$2.91 A$4.07

$0.84 ฿27.91

246.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 A$3.25

$0.49 ฿16.17

375.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 A$11.40

$2.48 ฿82.1

229.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 A$11.00

$3.73 ฿123

110.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 A$1.85

$1.89 ฿62.3

-30.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 A$2.08

$1.41 ฿46.58

5.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 A$1.26

$1.62 ฿53.6

-44.44%

Eggs

$3.70 A$5.17

$2.24 ฿74.1

65.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 A$11.43

$19.84 ฿656

-58.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.18 A$10.03

$3.48 ฿115

106.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.19 A$24.03

$11.37 ฿376

51.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 A$3.96

$2.90 ฿95.9

-2.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.51

$1.72 ฿57.0

45.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 A$2.33

$2.27 ฿75.2

-26.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 A$5.63

$2.13 ฿70.5

89.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.49

$1.47 ฿48.77

70.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 A$2.46

$1.42 ฿46.96

23.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 A$3.39

$1.10 ฿36.29

120.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 A$2.83

$0.60 ฿19.78

236.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.97 A$44.69

$4.31 ฿142

641.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.93 A$11.08

$18.60 ฿615

-57.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.49

$1.80 ฿59.6

38.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.37

$2.97 ฿98.1

77.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.39 A$4.73

$2.25 ฿74.3

50.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.2 A$115

$23.49 ฿777

250.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 A$4.37

$3.10 ฿103

0.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.28

$1.08 ฿35.59

50.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.27 A$54.9

$3.87 ฿128

914.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.06

$1.43 ฿47.20

3.50%

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

$29.3K A$41.0K

$27.8K ฿918.9K

5.61%

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

$27.7K A$38.8K

$27.0K ฿892.4K

2.79%

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

$241 A$337

$105 ฿3,466

130.31%

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

$25.38 A$35.48

$11.39 ฿377

122.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 A$78.9

$17.54 ฿580

221.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 A$92.1

$54.3 ฿1,797

21.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.91 A$29.23

$11.44 ฿378

82.78%

Cinema Ticket

$17.58 A$24.57

$7.78 ฿257

125.96%

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

$1,921 A$2,685

$576 ฿19.1K

233.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K A$31.3K

$11.6K ฿383.0K

93.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 A$124

$63.6 ฿2,104

39.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.9 A$83.8

$29.10 ฿962

105.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 A$164

$96.2 ฿3,182

21.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$180

$90.0 ฿2,977

43.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 A$2,123

$733 ฿24.2K

107.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 A$1,575

$501 ฿16.6K

125.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 A$3,418

$2,126 ฿70.3K

15.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 A$2,293

$1,252 ฿41.4K

31.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,786 A$9,486

$3,534 ฿116.9K

92.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,770 A$6,668

$2,622 ฿86.7K

81.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,078 A$4,302

$508 ฿16.8K

506.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.57

4.85%

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

Last update for Taree: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,519 in Taree and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taree pays 506% 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: $85.0 in Taree vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $275 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

Taree vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 506% higher in Taree, 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: $1,519 in Taree versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,921 in Taree versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Taree. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,588 in Taree, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Taree. 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 Taree, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Taree 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 105% less than in Taree. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.