Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulare, CA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulare, CA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,719 in Tulare, CA versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,066 in Tulare, CA versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,412 in Tulare, CA versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Tulare, CA is roughly 115% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tulare, CA is 104% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.11 $25.11

$4.60 ฿154

445.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 $110

$34.86 ฿1,164

216.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.16 $15.16

$8.57 ฿286

76.90%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$2.82 ฿94.1

100.35%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$0.78 ฿25.99

287.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.48 ฿15.89

414.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.75 $8.75

$2.42 ฿80.9

261.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 $7.80

$3.71 ฿124

110.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.79 ฿59.7

-29.61%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.41 ฿46.93

206.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.60 ฿53.3

196.25%

Eggs

$5.27 $5.27

$2.20 ฿73.6

139.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.59 $24.59

$19.64 ฿656

25.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.70 $11.70

$3.50 ฿117

234.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 $13.44

$11.24 ฿375

19.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$2.86 ฿95.6

89.86%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.68 ฿56.2

88.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$2.31 ฿77.1

101.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$2.10 ฿70.1

186.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$1.48 ฿49.36

127.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$1.35 ฿44.94

193.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.07 ฿35.90

184.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$0.58 ฿19.24

363.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.56 $7.56

$4.31 ฿144

75.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.13 $13.13

$18.67 ฿624

-29.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.79 ฿59.7

18.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.77 ฿92.6

-7.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.19 ฿73.0

-9.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.98 ฿767

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.03 ฿101

34.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.02 ฿34.02

72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.33 $32.33

$3.91 ฿131

726.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.43 ฿47.69

-1.40%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$27.2K ฿908.9K

10.90%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.9K ฿897.7K

-3.01%

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

$210 $210

$102 ฿3,413

105.68%

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

$39.70 $39.70

$10.95 ฿366

262.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.9 $62.9

$17.06 ฿570

268.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.20 $46.20

$53.2 ฿1,777

-13.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.11 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 $17.67

$7.82 ฿261

125.96%

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

$2,256 $2,256

$552 ฿18.4K

308.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$11.4K ฿381.8K

109.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$62.4 ฿2,083

-18.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.74 $39.74

$28.98 ฿968

37.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 $76.2

$97.6 ฿3,261

-21.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 $59.7

$88.3 ฿2,951

-32.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 $1,390

$746 ฿24.9K

86.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 $1,384

$480 ฿16.0K

188.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,762 $2,762

$2,112 ฿70.5K

30.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,142 $2,142

$1,195 ฿39.9K

79.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 $2,915

$3,579 ฿119.5K

-18.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,278 $2,278

$2,576 ฿86.0K

-11.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$509 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

5.57

12.21%

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

Last update for Tulare, CA: August 3, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,630 in Tulare, CA and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $100 in Tulare, CA vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $483 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

Tulare, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 115% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,079 in Tulare, CA and $1,896 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: $1,630 in Tulare, CA versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,959 in Tulare, CA versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $100 in Tulare, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,719 in Tulare, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tulare, CA. 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 Tulare, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tulare, CA 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 115% less than in Tulare, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.