Cost of Living Comparison Between Tours and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tours and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,659 in Tours versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,656 in Tours versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,653 in Tours versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Tours is roughly 31% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tours is 20% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.88 €12.83

$4.66 ฿154

219.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 €61.1

$32.22 ฿1,066

119.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.90 €11.99

$8.68 ฿287

60.14%

Cappuccino

$3.81 €3.29

$2.90 ฿95.9

31.38%

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

$2.99 €2.58

$0.84 ฿27.91

255.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.49 ฿16.17

181.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.66 €6.61

$2.48 ฿82.1

208.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 €4.04

$3.73 ฿123

25.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.89 ฿62.3

-30.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 €1.62

$1.41 ฿46.58

32.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.62 ฿53.6

25.93%

Eggs

$4.79 €4.13

$2.24 ฿74.1

113.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.38 €14.99

$19.84 ฿656

-12.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 €9.74

$3.48 ฿115

224.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.39 €15.85

$11.37 ฿376

61.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 €3.17

$2.90 ฿95.9

26.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.85 €3.32

$1.72 ฿57.0

123.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 €2.53

$2.27 ฿75.2

29.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 €2.87

$2.13 ฿70.5

56.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.47 ฿48.77

32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.42 ฿46.96

44.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.10 ฿36.29

57.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 €0.30

$0.60 ฿19.78

-41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.09 €12.15

$4.31 ฿142

226.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 €6.03

$18.60 ฿615

-62.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.80 ฿59.6

36.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.22

$2.97 ฿98.1

-13.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.25 ฿74.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.5 €49.58

$23.49 ฿777

144.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿103

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.59

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 €30.35

$3.87 ฿128

809.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.43 ฿47.20

52.45%

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

$37.1K €32.0K

$27.8K ฿918.9K

33.62%

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

$34.0K €29.3K

$27.0K ฿892.4K

25.96%

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

$141 €122

$105 ฿3,466

34.87%

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

$13.63 €11.76

$11.39 ฿377

19.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.04 €28.49

$17.54 ฿580

88.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 €35.20

$54.3 ฿1,797

-24.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$10.29 €8.87

$7.78 ฿257

32.26%

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

$1,888 €1,628

$576 ฿19.1K

227.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿383.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €96.8

$63.6 ฿2,104

76.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.65 €35.05

$29.10 ฿962

39.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €98.9

$96.2 ฿3,182

19.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 €133

$90.0 ฿2,977

71.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$670 €578

$733 ฿24.2K

-8.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 €444

$501 ฿16.6K

2.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 €1,268

$2,126 ฿70.3K

-30.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 €905

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-16.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,819 €3,293

$3,534 ฿116.9K

8.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,309 €1,991

$508 ฿16.8K

354.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.57

-31.96%

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

Last update for Tours: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $670 in Tours and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tours pays 355% 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 Tours vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $275 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

Tours 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 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 355% higher in Tours, 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: $670 in Tours versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,888 in Tours versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Tours. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,659 in Tours, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tours. 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 Tours, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tours 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 31% less than in Tours. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.