Cost of Living Comparison Between Tarxien and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tarxien and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,068 in Tarxien versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,088 in Tarxien versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,107 in Tarxien versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Tarxien is roughly 63% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tarxien is 54% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.94 €17.17

$4.70 ฿154

324.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 €59.3

$45.37 ฿1,483

51.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 €9.89

$8.43 ฿276

36.18%

Cappuccino

$2.73 €2.35

$2.93 ฿95.7

-6.83%

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

$2.68 €2.31

$0.69 ฿22.42

288.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.37 ฿12.00

459.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.66 €4.02

$2.41 ฿78.7

93.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 €4.23

$3.72 ฿122

31.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.17

$2.23 ฿73.0

-39.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.83 ฿59.9

-14.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 €2.94

$2.17 ฿70.9

57.14%

Eggs

$3.65 €3.14

$2.21 ฿72.4

65.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.80 €8.44

$19.74 ฿645

-50.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.84 €9.34

$3.63 ฿119

198.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.09 €12.14

$13.53 ฿442

4.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 €2.87

$3.28 ฿107

1.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.61 ฿52.7

26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.41 ฿78.7

15.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 €2.77

$2.08 ฿68.1

54.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.60

$1.53 ฿49.97

20.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.48 ฿48.41

92.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.60

$0.99 ฿32.32

87.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.51 ฿16.68

149.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.63 €5.71

$4.41 ฿144

50.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 €5.26

$19.38 ฿634

-68.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.78 ฿58.1

32.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.71 ฿88.7

-32.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.37 ฿44.83

102.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 €7.10

$3.02 ฿98.7

172.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 €1.64

$0.99 ฿32.51

92.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.08 €29.34

$14.10 ฿461

141.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.36 ฿44.55

15.44%

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

$25.7K €22.1K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-8.87%

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

$41.3K €35.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

25.39%

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

$171 €148

$122 ฿3,978

40.87%

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

$29.47 €25.38

$13.57 ฿444

117.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.57 €28.91

$18.31 ฿599

83.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.9 €55.0

$60.2 ฿1,969

6.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.94 €19.75

$17.14 ฿560

33.84%

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 €13.12

$8.69 ฿284

75.26%

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

$263 €227

$693 ฿22.7K

-62.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €10.8K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-19.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €88.5

$59.5 ฿1,946

72.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.07 €33.65

$34.77 ฿1,137

12.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 €123

$115 ฿3,746

24.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 €86.4

$83.3 ฿2,723

20.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 €977

$613 ฿20.0K

84.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 €809

$437 ฿14.3K

115.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 €1,718

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-4.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 €1,285

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-1.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,756 €3,234

$3,749 ฿122.6K

0.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 €2,608

$2,616 ฿85.5K

15.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.43

5.33

1.88%

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

Last update for Tarxien: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Tarxien and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Tarxien vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 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

Tarxien vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,103 in Tarxien 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: $1,134 in Tarxien versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $263 in Tarxien 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 $69.0 in Tarxien. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,068 in Tarxien, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tarxien. 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 Tarxien, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tarxien 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 63% less than in Tarxien. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.