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: $1,649 in Tours versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,652 in Tours versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,654 in Tours versus $3,310 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Tours is 23% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.57 €16.86

$4.56 ฿149

329.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.4 €49.41

$46.63 ฿1,519

22.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.99 €12.06

$8.47 ฿276

65.17%

Cappuccino

$4.11 €3.54

$3.03 ฿98.6

35.64%

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

$3.01 €2.59

$0.69 ฿22.45

336.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.53

$0.37 ฿11.92

378.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.40 €7.24

$2.49 ฿81.0

237.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 €4.08

$3.66 ฿119

29.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.04

$2.18 ฿71.0

-44.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.90 ฿62.0

-9.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.20 ฿71.6

-4.55%

Eggs

$4.44 €3.83

$2.22 ฿72.4

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.13 €16.48

$19.99 ฿651

-4.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.88 €11.10

$3.66 ฿119

251.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.56 €15.99

$13.25 ฿432

40.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 €3.24

$3.23 ฿105

16.72%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 €2.70

$1.70 ฿55.3

84.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 €2.74

$2.39 ฿78.0

33.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 €3.12

$2.08 ฿67.7

74.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.73

$1.59 ฿51.8

25.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.48 ฿48.31

33.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.03 ฿33.54

68.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 €0.25

$0.52 ฿16.83

-44.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.41 €11.56

$4.25 ฿138

215.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.67 €7.47

$18.79 ฿612

-53.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.76 ฿57.2

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.76 ฿89.8

-10.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.36 ฿44.32

55.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.4 €46.02

$11.36 ฿370

370.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 €2.94

$3.14 ฿102

8.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.04 ฿33.74

85.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.79 €29.97

$13.77 ฿448

152.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.34 ฿43.79

50.00%

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

$31.8K €27.4K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

14.83%

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

$33.8K €29.1K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-0.16%

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

$137 €118

$124 ฿4,025

11.09%

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

$25.92 €22.34

$13.52 ฿440

91.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.08 €23.33

$18.69 ฿609

44.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.65 €30.71

$61.8 ฿2,013

-42.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.00 €12.06

$17.25 ฿562

-18.84%

Cinema Ticket

$12.01 €10.35

$9.14 ฿298

31.40%

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

$470 €405

$703 ฿22.9K

-33.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,633 €7,438

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-45.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 €103

$59.5 ฿1,937

101.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.96 €35.30

$35.07 ฿1,142

16.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 €107

$115 ฿3,754

7.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €127

$84.1 ฿2,737

75.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 €515

$619 ฿20.1K

-3.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 €413

$433 ฿14.1K

10.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,502 €1,294

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-27.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 €859

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-34.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,854 €3,321

$3,646 ฿118.7K

5.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,345 €2,020

$507 ฿16.5K

362.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.59

5.33

-32.65%

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

Last update for Tours: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $597 in Tours and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tours pays 362% 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: $57.0 in Tours vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 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

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.

Tours pays 362% 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: $597 in Tours versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $470 in Tours versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Tours. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,649 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.