Cost of Living Comparison Between Tlemcen and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tlemcen and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $586 in Tlemcen versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $908 in Tlemcen versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,230 in Tlemcen versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Tlemcen costs roughly 54% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tlemcen 56% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 DZD 303

$4.48 ฿150

-48.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.14 DZD 1,605

$45.59 ฿1,521

-73.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 DZD 530

$8.76 ฿292

-54.22%

Cappuccino

$0.35 DZD 46.66

$2.97 ฿99.0

-88.22%

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

$0.48 DZD 63.5

$0.69 ฿22.90

-30.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 DZD 27.66

$0.39 ฿13.04

-46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 DZD 252

$2.53 ฿84.4

-24.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 DZD 309

$3.75 ฿125

-37.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.66 DZD 86.8

$2.15 ฿71.6

-69.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.13 DZD 17.11

$1.82 ฿60.6

-92.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 DZD 261

$2.18 ฿72.9

-9.17%

Eggs

$1.72 DZD 227

$2.25 ฿75.0

-23.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 DZD 1,165

$20.00 ฿667

-55.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 DZD 475

$3.63 ฿121

-1.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 DZD 1,751

$13.56 ฿452

-2.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 DZD 338

$3.24 ฿108

-20.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.19 DZD 421

$1.64 ฿54.6

94.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 DZD 210

$2.33 ฿77.8

-31.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 DZD 80.1

$2.07 ฿69.1

-70.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 DZD 62.9

$1.55 ฿51.6

-69.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 DZD 67.3

$1.46 ฿48.54

-65.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 DZD 106

$0.98 ฿32.86

-18.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 DZD 47.74

$0.48 ฿16.09

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 DZD 296

$4.35 ฿145

-48.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.35 DZD 1,236

$18.57 ฿620

-49.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 DZD 170

$1.86 ฿61.9

-30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 DZD 284

$2.65 ฿88.6

-18.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 DZD 22.75

$1.42 ฿47.28

-88.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.62 DZD 2,329

$11.57 ฿386

52.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 DZD 93.7

$3.17 ฿106

-77.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 DZD 47.88

$1.03 ฿34.41

-65.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 DZD 712

$13.89 ฿463

-61.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 DZD 44.09

$1.34 ฿44.84

-75.37%

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

$31.9K DZD 4.2M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

14.94%

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

$34.0K DZD 4.5M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

1.98%

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

$50.5 DZD 6,672

$123 ฿4,105

-58.99%

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

$7.87 DZD 1,040

$13.77 ฿459

-42.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.86 DZD 2,229

$18.33 ฿611

-8.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.63 DZD 3,124

$60.7 ฿2,025

-61.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$5.56 DZD 735

$8.87 ฿296

-37.32%

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

$94.4 DZD 12.5K

$688 ฿22.9K

-86.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,564 DZD 471.2K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-77.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.65 DZD 4,846

$59.3 ฿1,978

-38.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.93 DZD 6,073

$34.69 ฿1,157

32.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.9 DZD 10.0K

$115 ฿3,843

-34.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 DZD 10.3K

$83.8 ฿2,794

-7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$192 DZD 25.4K

$621 ฿20.7K

-69.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 DZD 15.0K

$446 ฿14.9K

-74.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 DZD 36.0K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-86.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 DZD 24.7K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-87.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$245 DZD 32.4K

$494 ฿16.5K

-50.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.42

5.33

1.69%

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

Last update for Tlemcen: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $192 in Tlemcen and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 101% 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: $12.00 in Tlemcen vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $291 per month, with Tlemcen 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

Tlemcen vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tlemcen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 116% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 101% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $192 in Tlemcen versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $94.4 in Tlemcen versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $586 in Tlemcen versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tlemcen but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tlemcen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tlemcen 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, Tlemcen 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 Tlemcen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.