Cost of Living Comparison Between Tenali and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tenali and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $371 in Tenali versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $557 in Tenali versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $743 in Tenali versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Tenali costs roughly 70% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tenali 72% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Tenali
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.38 â‚đ226
$4.63 āļŋ151
-48.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$5.75 â‚đ546
$46.84 āļŋ1,532
-87.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.31 â‚đ504
$8.84 āļŋ289
-39.93%
Cappuccino
$2.01 â‚đ191
$3.00 āļŋ98.0
-33.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.45 â‚đ42.29
$0.74 āļŋ24.25
-39.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.13 â‚đ12.44
$0.37 āļŋ11.95
-64.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.12 â‚đ202
$2.44 āļŋ79.8
-13.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.41 â‚đ323
$3.61 āļŋ118
-5.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tenali
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.83 â‚đ78.8
$2.26 āļŋ73.9
-63.27%
White Bread (500g)
$0.45 â‚đ42.48
$1.84 āļŋ60.1
-75.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.71 â‚đ67.4
$2.24 āļŋ73.4
-68.30%
Eggs
$0.87 â‚đ82.4
$2.32 āļŋ75.7
-62.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.85 â‚đ555
$19.67 āļŋ643
-70.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.57 â‚đ244
$3.65 āļŋ119
-29.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$13.10 āļŋ428
-
Apples (1kg)
$1.87 â‚đ178
$3.39 āļŋ111
-44.84%
Banana (1kg)
$0.77 â‚đ73.5
$1.64 āļŋ53.7
-53.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.91 â‚đ86.6
$2.41 āļŋ79.0
-62.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.51 â‚đ48.07
$2.03 āļŋ66.4
-74.88%
Potato (1kg)
$0.46 â‚đ43.73
$1.56 āļŋ50.9
-70.51%
Onion (1kg)
$0.52 â‚đ49.51
$1.50 āļŋ48.94
-65.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.66 â‚đ62.8
$1.02 āļŋ33.50
-35.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.28 â‚đ26.38
$0.49 āļŋ16.00
-42.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.29 â‚đ218
$4.45 āļŋ145
-48.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.67 â‚đ824
$18.88 āļŋ617
-54.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 â‚đ186
$1.78 āļŋ58.1
10.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 â‚đ274
$2.75 āļŋ90.1
5.09%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$5.94 â‚đ564
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Tenali
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.43 â‚đ40.41
$1.40 āļŋ45.81
-69.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.90 â‚đ845
$11.48 āļŋ376
-22.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.69 â‚đ65.2
$3.12 āļŋ102
-77.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.00 āļŋ32.67
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.60 â‚đ152
$14.09 āļŋ461
-88.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 â‚đ119
$1.35 āļŋ44.19
-7.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.7K â‚đ1.7M
$27.2K āļŋ888.9K
-34.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.1K â‚đ2.3M
$32.9K āļŋ1.1M
-26.68%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tenali
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$39.47 â‚đ3,747
$125 āļŋ4,087
-68.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.10 â‚đ294
$13.57 āļŋ444
-77.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.19 â‚đ683
$18.52 āļŋ606
-61.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tenali
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$8.04 â‚đ763
$61.5 āļŋ2,010
-86.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.52 â‚đ1,094
$16.84 āļŋ551
-31.59%
Cinema Ticket
$2.28 â‚đ216
$9.19 āļŋ300
-75.19%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Tenali
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$17.17 â‚đ1,631
$698 āļŋ22.8K
-97.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,602 â‚đ247.1K
$15.6K āļŋ509.9K
-83.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tenali
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$14.64 â‚đ1,390
$57.8 āļŋ1,889
-74.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.95 â‚đ1,894
$35.24 āļŋ1,152
-43.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$31.60 â‚đ3,000
$113 āļŋ3,699
-72.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$20.52 â‚đ1,948
$86.4 āļŋ2,825
-76.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tenali
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$87.9 â‚đ8,349
$616 āļŋ20.1K
-85.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$68.7 â‚đ6,525
$446 āļŋ14.6K
-84.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$187 â‚đ17.7K
$2,048 āļŋ67.0K
-90.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$135 â‚đ12.8K
$1,492 āļŋ48.8K
-90.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$914 â‚đ86.8K
$3,779 āļŋ123.6K
-75.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$472 â‚đ44.8K
$2,649 āļŋ86.6K
-82.19%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Tenali
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$372 â‚đ35.3K
$524 āļŋ17.1K
-28.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8
5.33
50.09%

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

Last update for Tenali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $87.9 in Tenali and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 41% 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: $6.00 in Tenali vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $111 vs $292 per month, with Tenali 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
Tenali vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Tenali?
Tenali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 232% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Tenali or Phuket?
On paper, Phuket earns 41% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Tenali and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $87.9 in Tenali versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $17.17 in Tenali versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Tenali and Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 163% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for Tenali or Phuket?
At $371 in Tenali versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tenali but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tenali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Tenali or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Tenali 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.
Which city is safer, Tenali or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Tenali 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Tenali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 232% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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