Cost of Living Comparison Between Tsu and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tsu and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,211 in Tsu versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Tsu versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,526 in Tsu versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Tsu costs roughly 4% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tsu 10% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.07 ¥1,131

$4.70 ฿154

50.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.08 ¥3,052

$45.37 ฿1,483

-57.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.15 ¥663

$8.43 ฿276

-50.77%

Cappuccino

$3.31 ¥530

$2.93 ฿95.7

12.97%

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

$1.08 ¥172

$0.69 ฿22.42

56.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥115

$0.37 ฿12.00

94.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 ¥452

$2.41 ฿78.7

17.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ¥706

$3.72 ฿122

18.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥252

$2.23 ฿73.0

-29.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ¥239

$1.83 ฿59.9

-18.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.71 ¥753

$2.17 ฿70.9

117.05%

Eggs

$2.42 ¥388

$2.21 ฿72.4

9.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 ¥1,670

$19.74 ฿645

-47.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 ¥995

$3.63 ฿119

71.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 ¥3,059

$13.53 ฿442

41.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 ¥577

$3.28 ฿107

9.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 ¥339

$1.61 ฿52.7

31.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 ¥417

$2.41 ฿78.7

7.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.54 ¥726

$2.08 ฿68.1

118.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 ¥263

$1.53 ฿49.97

7.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 ¥208

$1.48 ฿48.41

-12.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ¥220

$0.99 ฿32.32

39.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥133

$0.51 ฿16.68

62.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 ¥634

$4.41 ฿144

-9.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ¥1,531

$19.38 ฿634

-50.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥341

$1.78 ฿58.1

19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ¥483

$2.71 ฿88.7

11.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 ¥254

$1.37 ฿44.83

16.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.5 ¥8,711

$11.39 ฿372

378.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ¥714

$3.02 ฿98.7

47.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.31 ¥530

$0.99 ฿32.51

234.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.36 ¥3,736

$14.10 ฿461

65.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥190

$1.36 ฿44.55

-12.50%

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

$23.6K ¥3.8M

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-16.40%

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

$16.9K ¥2.7M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-48.74%

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

$134 ¥21.5K

$122 ฿3,978

10.39%

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

$26.99 ¥4,318

$13.57 ฿444

98.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.90 ¥4,782

$18.31 ฿599

63.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 ¥8,838

$60.2 ฿1,969

-8.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.98 ¥2,236

$17.14 ฿560

-18.44%

Cinema Ticket

$12.67 ¥2,027

$8.69 ฿284

45.80%

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

$70.3 ¥11.2K

$693 ฿22.7K

-89.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K ¥1.6M

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-34.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.83 ¥7,171

$59.5 ฿1,946

-24.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.22 ¥4,674

$34.77 ฿1,137

-15.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 ¥11.0K

$115 ฿3,746

-40.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ¥15.1K

$83.3 ฿2,723

13.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥75.7K

$613 ฿20.0K

-22.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 ¥53.7K

$437 ฿14.3K

-23.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 ¥138.5K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-58.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 ¥107.0K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-55.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,402 ¥704.1K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

17.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,430 ¥388.6K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-7.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.81

5.33

-66.04%

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

Last update for Tsu: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Tsu and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Tsu vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $293, with Phuket 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

Tsu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tsu is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,816 in Tsu and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $474 in Tsu versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $70.3 in Tsu versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,211 in Tsu versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tsu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tsu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tsu 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 Tsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.