Cost of Living Comparison Between Tema and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tema and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $608 in Tema versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $984 in Tema versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,360 in Tema versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Tema costs roughly 52% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tema 55% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.23 GHS 79.5

$4.56 ฿149

58.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.52 GHS 303

$46.63 ฿1,519

-40.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 GHS 85.7

$8.47 ฿276

-8.03%

Cappuccino

$1.52 GHS 16.70

$3.03 ฿98.6

-49.83%

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

$1.03 GHS 11.37

$0.69 ฿22.45

49.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 GHS 3.40

$0.37 ฿11.92

-16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 GHS 18.85

$2.49 ฿81.0

-31.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 GHS 29.35

$3.66 ฿119

-27.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.05 GHS 33.53

$2.18 ฿71.0

39.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 GHS 18.14

$1.90 ฿62.0

-13.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 GHS 16.45

$2.20 ฿71.6

-31.82%

Eggs

$2.17 GHS 23.89

$2.22 ฿72.4

-2.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.60 GHS 39.57

$19.99 ฿651

-81.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.64 GHS 29.03

$3.66 ฿119

-27.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.44 GHS 26.89

$13.25 ฿432

-81.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 GHS 30.65

$3.23 ฿105

-13.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 GHS 21.89

$1.70 ฿55.3

17.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 GHS 22.81

$2.39 ฿78.0

-13.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 GHS 32.39

$2.08 ฿67.7

41.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 GHS 19.83

$1.59 ฿51.8

13.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 GHS 21.81

$1.48 ฿48.31

33.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 GHS 6.63

$1.03 ฿33.54

-41.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 GHS 9.12

$0.52 ฿16.83

59.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

Wine (Bottle)

$6.88 GHS 75.7

$18.79 ฿612

-63.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 GHS 9.58

$1.76 ฿57.2

-50.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 GHS 22.05

$1.36 ฿44.32

47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.98 GHS 440

$11.36 ฿370

251.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 GHS 15.57

$3.14 ฿102

-54.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 GHS 7.92

$1.04 ฿33.74

-30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 GHS 13.46

$1.34 ฿43.79

-8.96%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

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

$30.56 GHS 336

$124 ฿4,025

-75.27%

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

$12.40 GHS 136

$13.52 ฿440

-8.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.9 GHS 703

$18.69 ฿609

242.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.29 GHS 212

$61.8 ฿2,013

-68.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

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

$83.0 GHS 913

$703 ฿22.9K

-88.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.85 GHS 273

$59.5 ฿1,937

-58.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 GHS 276

$35.07 ฿1,142

-28.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.65 GHS 502

$115 ฿3,754

-60.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.2 GHS 684

$84.1 ฿2,737

-26.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$117 GHS 1,282

$619 ฿20.1K

-81.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$66.2 GHS 728

$433 ฿14.1K

-84.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$137 GHS 1,506

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-90.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,866 GHS 108.5K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

170.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,964 GHS 65.6K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

127.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$412 GHS 4,531

$507 ฿16.5K

-18.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

32.5

5.33

509.76%

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

Last update for Tema: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $117 in Tema and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 23% 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: $28.00 in Tema vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $293 per month, with Tema 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

Tema vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tema is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 23% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $117 in Tema versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $83.0 in Tema versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $608 in Tema versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tema but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tema the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tema is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tema 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 Tema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.