Cost of Living Comparison Between Tibas and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tibas and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Tibas versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,235 in Tibas versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,951 in Tibas versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Tibas is roughly 20% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tibas is 13% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.20 ₡4,660

$4.70 ฿153

117.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.68 ₡13.6K

$45.37 ฿1,482

-34.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.73 ₡3,990

$8.43 ฿275

3.56%

Cappuccino

$1.96 ₡893

$2.93 ฿95.6

-33.11%

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

$1.22 ₡557

$0.69 ฿22.40

76.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₡549

$0.37 ฿11.99

224.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 ₡891

$2.41 ฿78.6

-19.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,325

$3.72 ฿122

-22.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 ₡460

$2.23 ฿72.9

-54.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 ₡906

$1.83 ฿59.8

8.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 ₡1,008

$2.17 ฿70.8

1.84%

Eggs

$2.94 ₡1,342

$2.21 ฿72.3

33.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 ₡4,490

$19.74 ฿645

-50.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 ₡2,340

$3.63 ฿119

41.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 ₡6,161

$13.53 ฿442

-0.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 ₡2,085

$3.28 ฿107

39.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 ₡660

$1.61 ฿52.6

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 ₡1,897

$2.41 ฿78.6

72.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 ₡1,192

$2.08 ฿68.1

25.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 ₡1,580

$1.53 ฿49.93

126.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 ₡1,410

$1.48 ฿48.36

108.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 ₡220

$0.99 ฿32.29

-51.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,329

$0.51 ฿16.67

470.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.20 ₡2,376

$4.41 ฿144

17.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.97 ₡10.0K

$19.38 ฿633

13.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₡1,097

$1.78 ฿58.1

34.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ₡1,346

$2.71 ฿88.6

8.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 ₡474

$1.37 ฿44.79

-24.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₡859

$3.02 ฿98.6

-37.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡812

$0.99 ฿32.48

79.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.10 ₡3,701

$14.10 ฿461

-42.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₡644

$1.36 ฿44.51

3.68%

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

$37.8K ₡17.3M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

34.11%

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

$32.5K ₡14.8M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-1.32%

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

$95.3 ₡43.5K

$122 ฿3,975

-21.70%

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

$26.00 ₡11.9K

$13.57 ฿443

91.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 ₡27.1K

$18.31 ฿598

223.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 ₡26.3K

$60.2 ฿1,967

-4.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.23 ₡11.1K

$17.14 ฿560

41.37%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 ₡4,600

$8.69 ฿284

15.88%

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

$558 ₡255.0K

$693 ฿22.6K

-19.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K ₡5.8M

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-18.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 ₡28.2K

$59.5 ฿1,944

3.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 ₡23.1K

$34.77 ฿1,136

45.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡58.5K

$115 ฿3,743

11.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₡48.7K

$83.3 ฿2,720

28.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 ₡343.2K

$613 ฿20.0K

22.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ₡271.4K

$437 ฿14.3K

35.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 ₡690.9K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-27.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 ₡432.5K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-37.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$980 ₡447.9K

$508 ฿16.6K

92.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

5.33

90.81%

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

Last update for Tibas: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $751 in Tibas and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tibas pays 93% 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: $30.00 in Tibas vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $293, with Phuket 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

Tibas vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tibas pays 93% 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: $751 in Tibas versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Tibas versus $693 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 $45.00 versus $30.00 in Tibas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,519 in Tibas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tibas. 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 Tibas, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tibas 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 20% less than in Tibas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.