Cost of Living Comparison Between Tula and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tula and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,121 in Tula versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,756 in Tula versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,391 in Tula versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Tula costs roughly 11% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tula 17% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.80 ₽927

$4.56 ฿149

180.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 ₽4,172

$46.63 ฿1,519

23.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 ₽472

$8.47 ฿276

-23.14%

Cappuccino

$2.00 ₽145

$3.03 ฿98.6

-33.99%

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

$1.39 ₽101

$0.69 ฿22.45

101.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₽49.06

$0.37 ฿11.92

83.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 ₽149

$2.49 ฿81.0

-17.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₽222

$3.66 ฿119

-16.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 ₽94.0

$2.18 ฿71.0

-40.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ₽47.24

$1.90 ฿62.0

-65.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 ₽121

$2.20 ฿71.6

-24.09%

Eggs

$1.87 ₽136

$2.22 ฿72.4

-15.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 ₽908

$19.99 ฿651

-37.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.53 ₽400

$3.66 ฿119

51.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.60 ₽406

$13.25 ฿432

-57.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₽137

$3.23 ฿105

-41.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 ₽148

$1.70 ฿55.3

20.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 ₽134

$2.39 ฿78.0

-23.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 ₽196

$2.08 ฿67.7

30.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 ₽71.4

$1.59 ฿51.8

-37.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 ₽58.5

$1.48 ฿48.31

-45.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ₽124

$1.03 ฿33.54

66.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₽58.8

$0.52 ฿16.83

55.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.61 ₽189

$4.25 ฿138

-38.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.10 ₽587

$18.79 ฿612

-56.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₽71.8

$1.76 ฿57.2

-43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽73.1

$2.76 ฿89.8

-63.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ₽32.56

$1.36 ฿44.32

-66.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.46 ₽1,265

$11.36 ฿370

53.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ₽99.1

$3.14 ฿102

-56.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₽23.21

$1.04 ฿33.74

-69.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 ₽599

$13.77 ฿448

-40.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 ₽53.0

$1.34 ฿43.79

-45.52%

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

$23.0K ₽1.7M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-16.79%

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

$30.8K ₽2.2M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-8.95%

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

$151 ₽11.0K

$124 ฿4,025

22.40%

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

$8.06 ₽584

$13.52 ฿440

-40.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.12 ₽588

$18.69 ฿609

-56.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.51 ₽1,196

$61.8 ฿2,013

-73.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.44 ₽1,408

$17.25 ฿562

12.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 ₽449

$9.14 ฿298

-32.28%

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

$686 ₽49.7K

$703 ฿22.9K

-2.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ₽1.1M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-7.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 ₽6,261

$59.5 ฿1,937

45.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 ₽3,798

$35.07 ฿1,142

49.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₽9,498

$115 ฿3,754

13.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 ₽11.7K

$84.1 ฿2,737

92.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 ₽27.2K

$619 ฿20.1K

-39.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ₽22.7K

$433 ฿14.1K

-27.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 ₽51.6K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-65.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 ₽41.7K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-61.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,038 ₽147.7K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-44.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,245 ₽90.2K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-52.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,034 ₽74.9K

$507 ฿16.5K

103.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.86

5.33

178.80%

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

Last update for Tula: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $376 in Tula and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tula pays 104% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Tula vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $203 vs $293, with Tula cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tula vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tula is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tula pays 104% 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: $376 in Tula versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $686 in Tula 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 44% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,121 in Tula versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tula but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tula the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tula 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, Tula 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 Tula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.