Cost of Living Comparison Between Tiel and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tiel and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,642 in Tiel versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,664 in Tiel versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,686 in Tiel versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Tiel is roughly 109% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tiel is 97% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.29 €17.48

$4.70 ฿154

331.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.8 €60.9

$45.37 ฿1,483

55.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.78 €11.00

$8.43 ฿276

51.60%

Cappuccino

$3.42 €2.94

$2.93 ฿95.7

16.72%

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

$3.63 €3.13

$0.69 ฿22.42

426.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.24

$0.37 ฿12.00

602.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 €6.06

$2.41 ฿78.7

191.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 €4.91

$3.72 ฿122

53.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.09

$2.23 ฿73.0

-43.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.08

$1.83 ฿59.9

31.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 €2.86

$2.17 ฿70.9

53.00%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.83

$2.21 ฿72.4

101.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 €11.49

$19.74 ฿645

-32.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$3.63 ฿119

337.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 €14.30

$13.53 ฿442

22.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$3.28 ฿107

-29.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 €2.21

$1.61 ฿52.7

59.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.41 ฿78.7

-19.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 €3.21

$2.08 ฿68.1

79.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.53 ฿49.97

30.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.48 ฿48.41

28.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.05

$0.99 ฿32.32

23.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.51 ฿16.68

56.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.82 €8.46

$4.41 ฿144

122.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.12 €6.13

$19.38 ฿634

-63.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.78 ฿58.1

-11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.71 ฿88.7

1.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.57 €3.07

$1.37 ฿44.83

160.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.8 €78.2

$11.39 ฿372

696.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$3.02 ฿98.7

38.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 €1.85

$0.99 ฿32.51

117.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.90 €24.89

$14.10 ฿461

104.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.36 ฿44.55

66.91%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

32.98%

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

$32.3K €27.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-1.72%

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

$354 €305

$122 ฿3,978

190.96%

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

$25.09 €21.60

$13.57 ฿444

84.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.70 €42.80

$18.31 ฿599

171.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.83 €35.16

$60.2 ฿1,969

-32.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.09 €19.88

$17.14 ฿560

34.71%

Cinema Ticket

$15.49 €13.34

$8.69 ฿284

78.25%

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

$1,570 €1,352

$693 ฿22.7K

126.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,979 €6,871

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-49.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.8 €78.2

$59.5 ฿1,946

52.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.33 €33.01

$34.77 ฿1,137

10.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €105

$115 ฿3,746

6.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €112

$83.3 ฿2,723

55.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 €1,208

$613 ฿20.0K

128.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 €992

$437 ฿14.3K

163.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,295 €1,976

$2,094 ฿68.5K

9.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 €1,484

$1,509 ฿49.3K

14.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,001 €5,168

$3,749 ฿122.6K

60.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,436 €3,820

$2,616 ฿85.5K

69.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,234 €1,924

$508 ฿16.6K

339.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.34

5.33

-18.57%

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

Last update for Tiel: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,403 in Tiel and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tiel pays 340% 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: $71.0 in Tiel vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $293 per month, with Phuket 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

Tiel vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 109% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tiel pays 340% 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: $1,403 in Tiel versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,570 in Tiel versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Tiel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,642 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.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Tiel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.