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: $1,117 in Tula versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,752 in Tula versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,386 in Tula versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Tula costs roughly 9% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tula 17% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Tula
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.78 â‚―960
$4.63 āļŋ151
176.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.7 â‚―4,259
$46.84 āļŋ1,532
21.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.49 â‚―487
$8.84 āļŋ289
-26.58%
Cappuccino
$1.97 â‚―148
$3.00 āļŋ98.0
-34.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44 â‚―108
$0.74 āļŋ24.25
94.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 â‚―47.97
$0.37 āļŋ11.95
72.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.00 â‚―150
$2.44 āļŋ79.8
-18.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 â‚―232
$3.61 āļŋ118
-14.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tula
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 â‚―96.2
$2.26 āļŋ73.9
-43.36%
White Bread (500g)
$0.65 â‚―48.90
$1.84 āļŋ60.1
-64.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 â‚―126
$2.24 āļŋ73.4
-25.00%
Eggs
$1.91 â‚―143
$2.32 āļŋ75.7
-17.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.72 â‚―955
$19.67 āļŋ643
-35.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 â‚―399
$3.65 āļŋ119
45.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.34 â‚―401
$13.10 āļŋ428
-59.24%
Apples (1kg)
$1.94 â‚―146
$3.39 āļŋ111
-42.77%
Banana (1kg)
$2.11 â‚―159
$1.64 āļŋ53.7
28.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.87 â‚―140
$2.41 āļŋ79.0
-22.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.74 â‚―206
$2.03 āļŋ66.4
34.98%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 â‚―74.0
$1.56 āļŋ50.9
-36.54%
Onion (1kg)
$0.78 â‚―58.8
$1.50 āļŋ48.94
-48.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.64 â‚―123
$1.02 āļŋ33.50
60.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 â‚―60.6
$0.49 āļŋ16.00
65.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.49 â‚―187
$4.45 āļŋ145
-44.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.09 â‚―608
$18.88 āļŋ617
-57.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.03 â‚―77.5
$1.78 āļŋ58.1
-42.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 â‚―78.5
$2.75 āļŋ90.1
-61.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Tula
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.48 â‚―35.79
$1.40 āļŋ45.81
-65.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$17.97 â‚―1,350
$11.48 āļŋ376
56.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.36 â‚―102
$3.12 āļŋ102
-56.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.30 â‚―22.41
$1.00 āļŋ32.67
-70.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.01 â‚―601
$14.09 āļŋ461
-43.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.76 â‚―56.8
$1.35 āļŋ44.19
-43.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.2K â‚―1.7M
$27.2K āļŋ888.9K
-14.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.3K â‚―2.3M
$32.9K āļŋ1.1M
-7.88%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tula
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$152 â‚―11.5K
$125 āļŋ4,087
22.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.03 â‚―603
$13.57 āļŋ444
-40.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.97 â‚―598
$18.52 āļŋ606
-56.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tula
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$16.95 â‚―1,273
$61.5 āļŋ2,010
-72.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.44 â‚―1,460
$16.84 āļŋ551
15.44%
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 â‚―472
$9.19 āļŋ300
-31.66%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Tula
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$712 â‚―53.5K
$698 āļŋ22.8K
1.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.6K â‚―1.1M
$15.6K āļŋ509.9K
-6.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tula
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.8 â‚―6,671
$57.8 āļŋ1,889
53.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.2 â‚―3,917
$35.24 āļŋ1,152
47.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$131 â‚―9,825
$113 āļŋ3,699
15.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$161 â‚―12.1K
$86.4 āļŋ2,825
85.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tula
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$385 â‚―28.9K
$616 āļŋ20.1K
-37.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$317 â‚―23.8K
$446 āļŋ14.6K
-28.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$707 â‚―53.1K
$2,048 āļŋ67.0K
-65.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$576 â‚―43.3K
$1,492 āļŋ48.8K
-61.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,993 â‚―149.7K
$3,779 āļŋ123.6K
-47.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,186 â‚―89.1K
$2,649 āļŋ86.6K
-55.21%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Tula
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,015 â‚―76.2K
$524 āļŋ17.1K
93.71%
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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $385 in Tula and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tula pays 94% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Tula vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $202 vs $292, 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
Is Phuket cheaper than Tula?
Tula is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Tula or Phuket?
Tula pays 94% 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 Tula and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $385 in Tula 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 $712 in Tula 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 Tula and Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for Tula or Phuket?
At $1,117 in Tula versus $1,232 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.
Is Tula or Phuket more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Tula or Phuket?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Tula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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