Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tortola and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,460 in Tortola, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Tortola

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,460

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tortola 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 Tortola and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,460 in Tortola versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Tortola $2,460
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,176 in Tortola versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Tortola $4,176
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,893 in Tortola versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Tortola $5,893
Phuket $2,867

Living in Tortola is roughly 104% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tortola is 82% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.73 $21.73

$4.58 ฿153

374.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 $81.8

$32.48 ฿1,086

151.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.82 $14.82

$8.55 ฿286

73.33%

Cappuccino

$7.80 $7.80

$2.72 ฿91.0

186.76%

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

$1.81 $1.81

$0.94 ฿31.25

92.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.49 ฿16.39

177.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.59 ฿86.6

53.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.83 ฿128

30.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.74 ฿58.1

72.99%

White Bread (500g)

$4.63 $4.63

$1.43 ฿47.82

223.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.91 $6.91

$1.53 ฿51.0

351.63%

Eggs

$7.34 $7.34

$2.17 ฿72.7

238.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 $13.19

$19.15 ฿640

-31.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 $13.11

$3.30 ฿110

297.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 $20.24

$11.14 ฿372

81.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.95 ฿98.5

-34.24%

Banana (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$1.68 ฿56.1

141.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.30 ฿76.8

-15.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.62 $7.62

$2.13 ฿71.3

257.75%

Potato (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$1.53 ฿51.1

286.27%

Onion (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.36 ฿45.55

258.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$12.09 $12.09

$1.12 ฿37.44

979.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 $5.08

$4.26 ฿142

19.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 $10.87

$18.19 ฿608

-40.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.88 $3.88

$1.74 ฿58.2

122.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

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

$99.6 $99.6

$99.4 ฿3,321

0.24%

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

$98.8 $98.8

$11.28 ฿377

775.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$98.7 $98.7

$17.36 ฿580

468.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$20.13 $20.13

$7.57 ฿253

165.92%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 $1,402

$729 ฿24.4K

92.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$460 ฿15.4K

176.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,314 $3,314

$2,096 ฿70.0K

58.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,143 $3,143

$1,222 ฿40.8K

157.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

336.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,613 $1,613

$493 ฿16.5K

227.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Tortola: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tortola

–

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Groceries & Markets

Tortola

–

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tortola

–

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Tortola

–

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Eating Out

Tortola

–

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Tortola

–

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Tortola

–

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,402 in Tortola and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tortola pays 227% 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: $82.0 in Tortola vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $496 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇬 Tortola

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:27 12:27 AM

11:27 11:27 AM

11 h ahead of Tortola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,449

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Tortola Phuket 16,550 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Tortola
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

Tortola vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 227% higher in Tortola, 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: $1,402 in Tortola versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% 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 $32.00 versus $82.0 in Tortola. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,460 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 104% less than in Tortola. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.