Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tumon and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Tumon: $429 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Tumon

🇬🇺 Guam

$429

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tumon and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tumon and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $429 in Tumon versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Tumon $429
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,002 in Tumon versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Tumon $2,002
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,574 in Tumon versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Tumon $3,574
Phuket $2,845

Living in Tumon costs roughly 65% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tumon 68% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 $25.37

$4.40 ฿148

476.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 $51.7

$32.26 ฿1,088

60.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.95 $12.95

$8.76 ฿296

47.83%

Cappuccino

$6.01 $6.01

$2.83 ฿95.3

112.37%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$0.90 ฿30.42

238.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$0.47 ฿15.71

544.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 $7.12

$2.55 ฿86.0

179.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$3.83 ฿129

131.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿58.2

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.56

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿664

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿113

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿376

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿96.0

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿57.5

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.9

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿69.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿49.02

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.59

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿36.02

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿144

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿627

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿60.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿96.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.87 $6.87

$2.26 ฿76.3

203.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿745

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.06 ฿35.67

83.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

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

$26.3K ฿888.1K

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

$29.1K $29.1K

$26.9K ฿908.8K

8.09%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

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

$11.04 ฿372

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿578

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,760

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿376

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿263

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

$556 ฿18.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿390.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,166

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿968

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,217

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,968

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,433 $2,433

$1,201 ฿40.5K

102.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿117.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿85.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Tumon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tumon

–

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Groceries & Markets

Tumon

–

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tumon

–

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Tumon

–

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Eating Out

Tumon

–

Phuket

$121 10%

Sport & Entertainment

Tumon

–

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Getting Around

Tumon

–

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Cost Breakdown

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $52 in Tumon vs $32 in Phuket for two.

Good to know

🇬🇺 Tumon

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:43 10:43 PM

19:43 7:43 PM

3 h behind Tumon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,943

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.84 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tumon Phuket 5,100 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tumon
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Tumon vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tumon is cheaper overall, especially in transport. The 182% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $643 in Tumon and $1,813 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $52 in Tumon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $429 per month in Tumon versus $1,208 in Phuket – a 182% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $429 in Tumon versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Tumon but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tumon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Tumon 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.