Cost of Living Comparison Between Tucson, AZ and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tucson, AZ and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,490 in Tucson, AZ versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,618 in Tucson, AZ versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,746 in Tucson, AZ versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Tucson, AZ is roughly 97% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tucson, AZ is 87% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.48 $18.48

$4.48 ฿150

312.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 $74.3

$45.59 ฿1,522

63.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 $11.90

$8.76 ฿292

35.84%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$2.97 ฿99.1

78.45%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$0.69 ฿22.92

320.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$0.39 ฿13.05

492.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$2.53 ฿84.5

142.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 $7.05

$3.75 ฿125

88.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$2.15 ฿71.6

-58.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.82 ฿60.6

88.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.18 ฿73.0

144.95%

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$2.25 ฿75.1

89.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.77 $10.77

$20.00 ฿668

-46.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 $11.64

$3.63 ฿121

220.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.91 $14.91

$13.56 ฿453

9.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$3.24 ฿108

49.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.64 ฿54.6

14.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.33 ฿77.9

67.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.07 ฿69.2

95.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.55 ฿51.7

58.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.46 ฿48.58

70.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.98 ฿32.88

97.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$0.48 ฿16.11

422.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.05 $9.05

$4.35 ฿145

108.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.37 $13.37

$18.57 ฿620

-28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.86 ฿62.0

16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.65 ฿88.7

31.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.42 ฿47.32

-45.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 $19.85

$11.57 ฿386

71.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.17 ฿106

-13.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.03 ฿34.45

34.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.68 $35.68

$13.89 ฿464

156.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.34 ฿44.88

-31.34%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$27.8K ฿927.9K

10.80%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-21.10%

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

$269 $269

$123 ฿4,109

118.47%

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

$70.6 $70.6

$13.77 ฿460

412.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 $80.9

$18.33 ฿612

341.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.82 $39.82

$60.7 ฿2,026

-34.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.93 $9.93

$17.16 ฿573

-42.13%

Cinema Ticket

$12.88 $12.88

$8.87 ฿296

45.21%

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

$1,079 $1,079

$688 ฿23.0K

56.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K $15.7K

$15.8K ฿526.9K

-0.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 $50.4

$59.3 ฿1,980

-15.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.15 $39.15

$34.69 ฿1,158

12.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$115 ฿3,846

-25.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$83.8 ฿2,797

25.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 $1,277

$621 ฿20.7K

105.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 $1,110

$446 ฿14.9K

148.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 $2,148

$2,034 ฿67.9K

5.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 $1,822

$1,496 ฿50.0K

21.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,387 $3,387

$3,455 ฿115.4K

-1.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,542 $2,542

$2,531 ฿84.5K

0.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,056 $4,056

$494 ฿16.5K

721.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

5.33

22.70%

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

Last update for Tucson, AZ: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,277 in Tucson, AZ and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tucson, AZ pays 722% 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: $74.0 in Tucson, AZ vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 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

Tucson, AZ vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 722% higher in Tucson, AZ, 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: $1,277 in Tucson, AZ versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,079 in Tucson, AZ versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Tucson, AZ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,490 in Tucson, AZ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tucson, AZ. 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 Tucson, AZ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tucson, AZ 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 97% less than in Tucson, AZ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.