Cost of Living Comparison Between Telsiai and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Telsiai and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,416 in Telsiai versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,199 in Telsiai versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,982 in Telsiai versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Telsiai is roughly 15% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Telsiai is 3% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.69 €11.93

$4.41 ฿147

210.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 €68.8

$32.26 ฿1,073

144.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.02 €7.86

$8.93 ฿297

1.01%

Cappuccino

$3.78 €3.30

$2.90 ฿96.3

30.34%

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

$2.26 €1.97

$0.88 ฿29.27

156.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.48 ฿16.00

391.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 €5.13

$2.35 ฿78.2

150.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 €4.90

$3.72 ฿124

51.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.87 ฿62.0

-16.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 €1.46

$1.47 ฿48.75

13.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.21

$1.55 ฿51.6

63.87%

Eggs

$3.41 €2.97

$2.10 ฿69.9

62.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 €9.44

$19.59 ฿651

-44.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 €7.30

$3.42 ฿114

145.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.44 €10.84

$11.38 ฿378

9.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 €1.69

$2.98 ฿99.2

-34.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.68 ฿56.0

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 €1.51

$2.21 ฿73.5

-21.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.16 ฿71.9

51.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 €0.81

$1.52 ฿50.7

-38.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 €0.70

$1.34 ฿44.49

-40.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.13 ฿37.53

48.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.55 ฿18.17

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 €5.69

$4.26 ฿142

53.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.74

$19.09 ฿635

-47.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.78 ฿59.2

7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.78 ฿92.5

-23.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 €1.16

$2.23 ฿74.1

-40.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.30 €32.49

$22.74 ฿756

64.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 €2.71

$3.03 ฿101

2.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.02 ฿34.02

20.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.50 €12.63

$3.89 ฿129

272.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.49 ฿49.57

28.19%

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

$28.5K €24.8K

$26.6K ฿883.8K

7.08%

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

$32.6K €28.4K

$27.0K ฿898.7K

20.71%

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

$236 €205

$102 ฿3,407

129.92%

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

$14.41 €12.55

$11.33 ฿377

27.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.44 €17.81

$17.40 ฿578

17.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.33 €41.24

$52.1 ฿1,732

-9.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.99 €22.64

$11.07 ฿368

134.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.55 €9.19

$7.69 ฿256

37.19%

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

$664 €579

$561 ฿18.6K

18.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.3K

$11.5K ฿382.6K

2.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €80.8

$63.0 ฿2,096

47.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.16 €36.73

$29.52 ฿982

42.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 €79.5

$98.0 ฿3,259

-6.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €114

$88.5 ฿2,943

47.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 €472

$738 ฿24.5K

-26.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 €351

$482 ฿16.0K

-16.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 €681

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-62.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 €492

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-53.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,899 €2,525

$3,617 ฿120.3K

-19.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,511 €1,316

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-41.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-28.19%

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

Last update for Telsiai: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $542 in Telsiai and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Telsiai vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $265 vs $274, with Telsiai 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

Telsiai vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,124 in Telsiai 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $542 in Telsiai versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $664 in Telsiai versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Telsiai pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,416 in Telsiai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Telsiai. 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 Telsiai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Telsiai 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 15% less than in Telsiai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.