Cost of Living Comparison Between Tembisa and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tembisa and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,019 in Tembisa versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,593 in Tembisa versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,166 in Tembisa versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Tembisa costs roughly 20% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tembisa 24% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.67 R 143

$4.66 ฿150

86.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.22 R 547

$46.44 ฿1,496

-28.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 R 77.8

$8.68 ฿280

-45.51%

Cappuccino

$2.13 R 35.01

$2.95 ฿95.0

-27.80%

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

$0.98 R 16.17

$0.70 ฿22.52

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.45

$0.39 ฿12.70

94.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R 37.27

$2.53 ฿81.6

-10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 R 40.27

$3.78 ฿122

-35.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.14

$2.22 ฿71.5

-47.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R 17.22

$1.80 ฿57.8

-41.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.64

$2.19 ฿70.4

-26.03%

Eggs

$2.48 R 40.92

$2.31 ฿74.5

7.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 R 131

$19.34 ฿623

-59.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 R 74.5

$3.77 ฿121

19.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.78 R 112

$13.22 ฿426

-48.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.23

$3.33 ฿107

-50.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.31

$1.65 ฿53.1

-10.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.20

$2.29 ฿73.7

-35.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.31

$1.99 ฿64.1

-16.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 R 21.69

$1.53 ฿49.24

-13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.33

$1.51 ฿48.77

-18.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 R 17.84

$1.03 ฿33.12

4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.24

$0.51 ฿16.57

82.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R 45.88

$4.41 ฿142

-36.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.89 R 80.5

$19.41 ฿625

-74.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.88

$1.80 ฿58.0

-26.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 R 27.10

$2.68 ฿86.4

-38.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 R 27.80

$1.43 ฿46.11

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.88

$3.04 ฿97.9

-62.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R 15.45

$1.04 ฿33.37

-9.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.13 R 68.0

$13.68 ฿441

-69.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R 21.31

$1.30 ฿41.85

-0.77%

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

$20.9K R 344.8K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-24.95%

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

$24.3K R 399.9K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-26.50%

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

$120 R 1,983

$123 ฿3,962

-2.09%

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

$34.49 R 568

$13.82 ฿445

149.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.32 R 681

$18.86 ฿608

119.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.40 R 517

$61.2 ฿1,970

-48.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$6.53 R 108

$8.87 ฿286

-26.38%

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

$199 R 3,282

$696 ฿22.4K

-71.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,280 R 70.5K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-73.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 R 841

$59.3 ฿1,910

-13.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 R 533

$34.85 ฿1,123

-7.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 R 1,450

$113 ฿3,646

-22.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.6 R 1,327

$85.1 ฿2,740

-5.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 R 5,952

$615 ฿19.8K

-41.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 R 5,495

$448 ฿14.4K

-25.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 R 11.3K

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-67.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 R 11.3K

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-54.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$661 R 10.9K

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-82.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$612 R 10.1K

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-77.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$569 R 9,368

$534 ฿17.2K

6.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

5.33

115.95%

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

Last update for Tembisa: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $361 in Tembisa and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tembisa pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Tembisa vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $291 per month, with Tembisa 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

Tembisa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tembisa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tembisa pays 7% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $361 in Tembisa versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $199 in Tembisa versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tembisa – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,019 in Tembisa versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tembisa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tembisa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tembisa 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, Tembisa 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 Tembisa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.