Cost of Living Comparison Between Tuam and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tuam and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,548 in Tuam versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,625 in Tuam versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,702 in Tuam versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Tuam is roughly 101% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tuam is 90% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.47 €17.46

$4.66 ฿150

339.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €54.1

$46.44 ฿1,496

36.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.63 €12.48

$8.68 ฿280

68.55%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.62

$2.95 ฿95.0

44.07%

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

$2.47 €2.10

$0.70 ฿22.52

252.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.63

$0.39 ฿12.70

389.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.06 €6.02

$2.53 ฿81.6

179.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 €5.36

$3.78 ฿122

66.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.36

$2.22 ฿71.5

-27.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.80 ฿57.8

13.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 €1.71

$2.19 ฿70.4

-8.22%

Eggs

$4.37 €3.73

$2.31 ฿74.5

89.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 €8.99

$19.34 ฿623

-45.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.92 €9.32

$3.77 ฿121

189.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 €10.19

$13.22 ฿426

-9.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 €2.56

$3.33 ฿107

-9.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$1.65 ฿53.1

26.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 €2.48

$2.29 ฿73.7

27.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 €3.08

$1.99 ฿64.1

81.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.89

$1.53 ฿49.24

45.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.51 ฿48.77

0.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.11

$1.03 ฿33.12

26.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.65

$0.51 ฿16.57

280.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.42 €15.72

$4.41 ฿142

317.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 €11.78

$19.41 ฿625

-28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.46 €2.95

$1.80 ฿58.0

92.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 €3.23

$2.68 ฿86.4

41.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.12

$1.43 ฿46.11

74.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.2 €83.7

$11.70 ฿377

738.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 €4.54

$3.04 ฿97.9

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.04 ฿33.37

76.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.88 €29.75

$13.68 ฿441

154.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.77

$1.30 ฿41.85

60.00%

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

$42.2K €36.0K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

51.38%

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

$38.3K €32.7K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

16.02%

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

$214 €182

$123 ฿3,962

73.76%

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

$21.58 €18.41

$13.82 ฿445

56.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 €43.22

$18.86 ฿608

168.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €43.86

$61.2 ฿1,970

-15.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 €11.79

$8.87 ฿286

55.81%

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

$1,063 €907

$696 ฿22.4K

52.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,771 €6,628

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-51.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 €76.4

$59.3 ฿1,910

51.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 €33.50

$34.85 ฿1,123

12.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 €85.2

$113 ฿3,646

-11.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €89.2

$85.1 ฿2,740

23.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 €1,236

$615 ฿19.8K

135.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 €1,050

$448 ฿14.4K

174.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,371 €2,022

$2,085 ฿67.2K

13.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 €1,678

$1,496 ฿48.2K

31.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

5.33

-15.01%

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

Last update for Tuam: April 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,448 in Tuam and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Tuam vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $291 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

Tuam vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,822 in Tuam and $1,904 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: $1,448 in Tuam versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,063 in Tuam versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Tuam. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,548 in Tuam, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tuam. 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 Tuam, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tuam 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 101% less than in Tuam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.