Cost of Living Comparison Between Tripolis and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tripolis and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,332 in Tripolis versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,075 in Tripolis versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,818 in Tripolis versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Tripolis is roughly 8% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tripolis 1% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Tripolis
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.14 ₮12.96
$4.63 āļŋ151
227.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.7 ₮49.40
$46.84 āļŋ1,532
23.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.62 ₮8.23
$8.84 āļŋ289
8.82%
Cappuccino
$3.98 ₮3.40
$3.00 āļŋ98.0
32.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 ₮2.51
$0.74 āļŋ24.25
297.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 ₮0.49
$0.37 āļŋ11.95
54.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.23 ₮4.47
$2.44 āļŋ79.8
114.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.33 ₮4.56
$3.61 āļŋ118
47.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tripolis
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 ₮1.28
$2.26 āļŋ73.9
-34.07%
White Bread (500g)
$1.42 ₮1.22
$1.84 āļŋ60.1
-22.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.48 ₮2.12
$2.24 āļŋ73.4
10.71%
Eggs
$5.28 ₮4.52
$2.32 āļŋ75.7
127.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.37 ₮11.45
$19.67 āļŋ643
-32.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.61 ₮8.22
$3.65 āļŋ119
163.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.23 ₮11.32
$13.10 āļŋ428
0.99%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 ₮1.86
$3.39 āļŋ111
-35.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 ₮1.58
$1.64 āļŋ53.7
12.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.49 ₮1.28
$2.41 āļŋ79.0
-38.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 ₮1.74
$2.03 āļŋ66.4
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 ₮1.03
$1.56 āļŋ50.9
-22.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.19 ₮1.02
$1.50 āļŋ48.94
-20.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.98 ₮0.84
$1.02 āļŋ33.50
-3.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 ₮0.69
$0.49 āļŋ16.00
65.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.34 ₮4.57
$4.45 āļŋ145
20.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.17 ₮7.85
$18.88 āļŋ617
-51.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.08 ₮1.78
$1.78 āļŋ58.1
16.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.10 ₮3.51
$2.75 āļŋ90.1
49.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Tripolis
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 ₮1.31
$1.40 āļŋ45.81
9.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$45.41 ₮38.87
$11.48 āļŋ376
295.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.70 ₮4.02
$3.12 āļŋ102
50.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.00 āļŋ32.67
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.65 ₮11.68
$14.09 āļŋ461
-3.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 ₮1.82
$1.35 āļŋ44.19
57.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.7K ₮26.3K
$27.2K āļŋ888.9K
12.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ₮22.5K
$32.9K āļŋ1.1M
-20.16%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tripolis
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$217 ₮186
$125 āļŋ4,087
73.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.94 ₮19.64
$13.57 āļŋ444
69.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.68 ₮29.69
$18.52 āļŋ606
87.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tripolis
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.99 ₮37.66
$61.5 āļŋ2,010
-28.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.13 ₮22.36
$16.84 āļŋ551
55.17%
Cinema Ticket
$9.36 ₮8.02
$9.19 āļŋ300
1.85%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Tripolis
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$433 ₮371
$698 āļŋ22.8K
-37.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,992 ₮5,129
$15.6K āļŋ509.9K
-61.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tripolis
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.9 ₮76.1
$57.8 āļŋ1,889
53.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.24 ₮33.59
$35.24 āļŋ1,152
11.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.4 ₮75.7
$113 āļŋ3,699
-21.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 ₮90.5
$86.4 āļŋ2,825
22.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tripolis
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$387 ₮331
$616 āļŋ20.1K
-37.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$274 ₮235
$446 āļŋ14.6K
-38.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$667 ₮571
$2,048 āļŋ67.0K
-67.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$464 ₮397
$1,492 āļŋ48.8K
-68.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,057 ₮2,617
$3,779 āļŋ123.6K
-19.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,585 ₮2,212
$2,649 āļŋ86.6K
-2.42%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Tripolis
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,186 ₮1,016
$524 āļŋ17.1K
126.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.43
5.33
-16.89%

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

Last update for Tripolis: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Tripolis and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tripolis pays 126% 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: $58.0 in Tripolis vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $292, with Tripolis cheaper for home cooking.

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
Tripolis vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Tripolis?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Tripolis or Phuket?
Tripolis pays 126% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Tripolis and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $387 in Tripolis versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $433 in Tripolis versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Tripolis and Phuket?
Shoppers in Tripolis pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Tripolis or Phuket?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,332 in Tripolis, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tripolis. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Tripolis or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tripolis, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Tripolis or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Tripolis 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Tripolis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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