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: $2,030 in Tarxien versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,032 in Tarxien versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,034 in Tarxien versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Tarxien is roughly 62% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tarxien is 52% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.38 €17.83

$4.55 ฿153

347.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 €60.6

$46.18 ฿1,554

50.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.67 €10.21

$8.84 ฿298

32.01%

Cappuccino

$2.68 €2.34

$3.06 ฿103

-12.42%

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

$2.64 €2.31

$0.73 ฿24.42

261.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.80

$0.40 ฿13.40

412.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.78 €4.18

$2.43 ฿81.8

96.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 €4.21

$3.78 ฿127

27.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.19

$2.26 ฿76.0

-39.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.81 ฿60.9

-12.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.52 €3.08

$2.25 ฿75.8

56.44%

Eggs

$3.60 €3.15

$2.25 ฿75.6

60.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 €8.42

$19.51 ฿656

-50.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.71 €9.37

$3.65 ฿123

193.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 €12.38

$13.05 ฿439

8.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 €2.99

$3.23 ฿109

5.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.62 ฿54.4

21.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.46

$2.38 ฿80.2

18.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 €2.80

$2.03 ฿68.2

57.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$1.53 ฿51.6

22.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 €2.59

$1.50 ฿50.5

97.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.64

$0.98 ฿32.93

90.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.13

$0.52 ฿17.40

148.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.27 €5.49

$4.44 ฿149

41.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 €5.40

$18.32 ฿616

-66.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.86 ฿62.7

27.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.63

$2.68 ฿90.2

-30.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 €2.46

$1.41 ฿47.49

99.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 €7.24

$3.11 ฿105

165.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.04 ฿35.08

85.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.39 €30.09

$14.11 ฿475

143.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.31 ฿44.13

16.79%

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

$25.7K €22.5K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-7.54%

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

$41.2K €36.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

23.94%

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

$167 €146

$122 ฿4,120

36.14%

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

$30.15 €26.37

$13.59 ฿457

121.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.55 €28.47

$18.70 ฿629

74.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 €56.3

$60.5 ฿2,035

6.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.35 €20.43

$16.98 ฿572

37.51%

Cinema Ticket

$15.25 €13.34

$9.07 ฿305

68.14%

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

$262 €229

$706 ฿23.8K

-62.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K €11.1K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-19.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$58.6 ฿1,970

75.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.49 €33.67

$35.36 ฿1,190

8.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 €127

$115 ฿3,885

25.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €88.5

$83.7 ฿2,818

20.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 €977

$626 ฿21.1K

78.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 €822

$445 ฿15.0K

111.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 €1,712

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-4.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 €1,322

$1,492 ฿50.2K

1.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,604 €3,153

$3,483 ฿117.2K

3.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,728 €2,387

$2,577 ฿86.7K

5.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,116 in Tarxien and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Tarxien vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $289 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 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,045 in Tarxien and $1,875 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: $1,116 in Tarxien versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $262 in Tarxien versus $706 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 $46.00 versus $69.0 in Tarxien. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,030 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 62% less than in Tarxien. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.