Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tiel and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,549 in Tiel, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tiel
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,549
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tiel and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tiel and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,549 in Tiel versus $1,208 in Phuket.

  • Tiel $2,549
  • Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,737 in Tiel versus $2,027 in Phuket.

  • Tiel $3,737
  • Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,925 in Tiel versus $2,845 in Phuket.

  • Tiel $4,925
  • Phuket $2,845

Living in Tiel is roughly 111% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tiel is 88% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tiel
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.28 €18.04
$4.40 ฿147
360.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.0 €60.5
$32.26 ฿1,078
110.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.51 €11.13
$8.76 ฿293
42.81%
Cappuccino
$4.33 €3.85
$2.83 ฿94.5
53.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.88 €3.45
$0.90 ฿30.14
331.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 €2.65
$0.47 ฿15.56
534.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.30 €7.38
$2.55 ฿85.2
225.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 €4.92
$3.83 ฿128
44.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tiel
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 €1.12
$1.73 ฿57.7
-27.17%
White Bread (500g)
$2.48 €2.21
$1.47 ฿49.11
68.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.63 €2.34
$1.51 ฿50.6
74.17%
Eggs
$4.51 €4.01
$2.17 ฿72.7
107.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.03 €13.37
$19.70 ฿658
-23.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.79 €12.27
$3.34 ฿112
312.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.67 €13.94
$11.16 ฿373
40.41%
Apples (1kg)
$2.71 €2.41
$2.85 ฿95.1
-4.91%
Banana (1kg)
$2.45 €2.18
$1.70 ฿56.9
44.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$2.19 ฿73.3
-9.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.48 €3.99
$2.05 ฿68.4
118.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 €1.67
$1.45 ฿48.57
29.66%
Onion (1kg)
$2.37 €2.11
$1.38 ฿46.16
71.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.07 ฿35.69
27.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 €0.70
$0.51 ฿16.91
54.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.27 €12.69
$4.26 ฿142
234.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.90 €6.13
$18.58 ฿621
-62.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.78 ฿59.7
-17.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 €2.41
$2.85 ฿95.2
-4.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Tiel
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.79 €3.37
$2.26 ฿75.6
67.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$102 €90.6
$22.10 ฿738
360.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.16 €3.70
$3.01 ฿101
38.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 €2.96
$1.06 ฿35.34
214.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.14 €25.03
$3.86 ฿129
629.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.42 €2.15
$1.45 ฿48.45
66.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.8K €36.3K
$26.3K ฿879.9K
54.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.5K €35.2K
$26.9K ฿900.4K
46.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tiel
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$293 €260
$96.4 ฿3,221
203.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.06 €15.17
$11.04 ฿369
54.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.70 €44.21
$17.14 ฿573
189.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tiel
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.30 €36.74
$52.2 ฿1,744
-20.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.08 €23.20
$11.16 ฿373
133.69%
Cinema Ticket
$15.32 €13.63
$7.81 ฿261
96.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tiel
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,266 €1,126
$556 ฿18.6K
127.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K €9,886
$11.6K ฿387.0K
-4.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tiel
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.8 €71.9
$64.2 ฿2,146
25.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.07 €33.87
$28.69 ฿959
32.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 €97.3
$95.4 ฿3,187
14.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 €115
$88.0 ฿2,940
46.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tiel
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,433 €1,274
$737 ฿24.6K
94.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,150 €1,023
$462 ฿15.5K
148.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,370 €2,108
$2,095 ฿70.0K
13.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,938 €1,723
$1,201 ฿40.1K
61.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,736 €4,213
$3,488 ฿116.6K
35.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,029 €4,473
$2,523 ฿84.3K
99.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tiel
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,093 €1,862
$501 ฿16.7K
317.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.42
5.57
-20.65%

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

Last update for Tiel: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tiel
$1.2K
Phuket
$462 59.8% $688
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tiel
$359
Phuket
$125 65.3% $235
Groceries & Markets
Tiel
$337
Phuket
$269 20.4% $69
Eating Out
Tiel
$332
Phuket
$121 63.5% $210
Clothing & Footwear
Tiel
$161
Phuket
$124 22.7% $36
Getting Around
Tiel
$138
Phuket
$39 71.4% $98
Sport & Entertainment
Tiel
$72
Phuket
$68 5.8% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,433 in Tiel and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tiel pays 318% 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: $68.0 in Tiel vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Tiel
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
12:16 12:16 PM
17:16 5:16 PM
5 h ahead of Tiel
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
42,159
79,308
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tiel Phuket 9,520 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tiel
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Tiel vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Tiel?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 111% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Tiel or Phuket?
Average pay runs 318% higher in Tiel, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Tiel and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,433 in Tiel versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,266 in Tiel versus $556 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 Tiel and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Tiel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Tiel or in Phuket?
At $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,549 in Tiel, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tiel. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Tiel or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tiel, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Tiel or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Tiel 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Tiel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Tiel vs other spots: cost of living compared

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