Cost of Living Comparison Between Tortola and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tortola and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,531 in Tortola versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,319 in Tortola versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,108 in Tortola versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Tortola is roughly 100% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tortola is 89% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.16 $29.16

$4.70 ฿153

520.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$45.37 ฿1,482

67.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.77 $14.77

$8.43 ฿275

75.21%

Cappuccino

$7.54 $7.54

$2.93 ฿95.6

157.34%

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

$1.80 $1.80

$0.69 ฿22.40

160.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.37 ฿11.99

270.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.41 ฿78.6

41.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.72 ฿122

5.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.23 ฿72.9

20.63%

White Bread (500g)

$5.19 $5.19

$1.83 ฿59.8

183.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.91 $6.91

$2.17 ฿70.8

218.43%

Eggs

$7.37 $7.37

$2.21 ฿72.3

233.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.83 $12.83

$19.74 ฿645

-35.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 $13.11

$3.63 ฿119

261.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.38 $20.38

$13.53 ฿442

50.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.28 ฿107

Banana (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.61 ฿52.6

145.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.41 ฿78.6

-15.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.41 $7.41

$2.08 ฿68.1

256.25%

Potato (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$1.53 ฿49.93

288.89%

Onion (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$1.48 ฿48.36

228.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$11.89 $11.89

$0.99 ฿32.29

1101.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.41 ฿144

11.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 $11.09

$19.38 ฿633

-42.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.04 $4.04

$1.78 ฿58.1

126.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$127 $127

$122 ฿3,975

4.63%

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

$101 $101

$13.57 ฿443

641.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$115 $115

$18.31 ฿598

526.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$60.2 ฿1,967

98.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$14.72 $14.72

$8.69 ฿284

69.39%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 $181

$115 ฿3,743

57.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$83.3 ฿2,720

33.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 $1,241

$613 ฿20.0K

102.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 $1,019

$437 ฿14.3K

133.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,972 $2,972

$2,094 ฿68.4K

41.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,791 $2,791

$1,509 ฿49.3K

84.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.6K $10.6K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

304.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,790 $1,790

$508 ฿16.6K

252.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

5.33

3.19%

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

Last update for Tortola: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,241 in Tortola and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tortola pays 252% 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: $76.0 in Tortola vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $504 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

Tortola vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tortola pays 252% 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: $1,241 in Tortola versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Tortola. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $76.0 in Tortola. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,531 in Tortola, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tortola. 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 Tortola, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tortola 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 100% less than in Tortola. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.