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: $2,174 in Tarxien versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,331 in Tarxien versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,487 in Tarxien versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Tarxien is roughly 72% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tarxien is 58% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.30 €20.08

$4.66 ฿154

400.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.0 €81.0

$32.22 ฿1,065

191.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.77

$8.68 ฿287

57.37%

Cappuccino

$3.33 €2.87

$2.90 ฿95.8

14.83%

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

$2.44 €2.11

$0.84 ฿27.89

190.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.49 ฿16.16

306.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.12

$2.48 ฿82.0

139.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.73 ฿123

81.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.89 ฿62.3

-28.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.41 ฿46.54

3.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 €3.20

$1.62 ฿53.6

129.63%

Eggs

$4.62 €3.98

$2.24 ฿74.1

106.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.87 €9.37

$19.84 ฿656

-45.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.62 €10.88

$3.48 ฿115

262.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.96 €16.35

$11.37 ฿376

66.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 €3.39

$2.90 ฿95.8

35.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 €2.48

$1.72 ฿57.0

67.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.10 €3.54

$2.27 ฿75.1

80.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 €3.38

$2.13 ฿70.4

84.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.47 ฿48.72

29.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 €2.91

$1.42 ฿46.92

138.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 €1.96

$1.10 ฿36.25

107.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$0.60 ฿19.76

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.46 €5.57

$4.31 ฿142

49.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 €5.45

$18.60 ฿615

-65.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.80 ฿59.5

37.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.97 ฿98.0

-20.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 €2.14

$2.25 ฿74.2

10.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.45

$3.10 ฿102

29.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.08 ฿35.56

75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.27 €28.68

$3.87 ฿128

759.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.36

$1.43 ฿47.16

9.79%

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

$29.1K €25.1K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

4.61%

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

$40.9K €35.2K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

51.50%

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

$164 €141

$105 ฿3,462

56.31%

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

$32.24 €27.79

$11.39 ฿376

183.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.93 €26.66

$17.54 ฿580

76.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 €55.0

$54.3 ฿1,795

17.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.96

$7.78 ฿257

48.46%

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

$283 €244

$576 ฿19.0K

-50.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €10.9K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

9.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 €64.6

$63.6 ฿2,103

17.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.6 €54.8

$29.10 ฿961

118.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €99.2

$96.2 ฿3,179

19.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €115

$90.0 ฿2,974

48.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 €1,025

$733 ฿24.2K

62.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 €836

$501 ฿16.5K

93.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 €1,570

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-14.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 €1,336

$1,252 ฿41.4K

23.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,962 €3,415

$3,534 ฿116.8K

12.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,847 €2,455

$2,622 ฿86.6K

8.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

5.57

-27.29%

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

Last update for Tarxien: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,189 in Tarxien and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $94.0 in Tarxien vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 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

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 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,262 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: $1,189 in Tarxien versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $283 in Tarxien versus $576 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 $32.00 versus $94.0 in Tarxien. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,174 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 72% less than in Tarxien. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.