Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunapuna and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunapuna and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,243 in Tunapuna versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tunapuna versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,790 in Tunapuna versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in Tunapuna is roughly 2% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tunapuna 7% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 TTD 38.75

$4.51 ฿147

27.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.8 TTD 492

$46.62 ฿1,515

56.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 TTD 43.77

$8.49 ฿276

-23.67%

Cappuccino

$3.04 TTD 20.53

$3.08 ฿100

-1.30%

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

$0.54 TTD 3.68

$0.68 ฿22.07

-20.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 TTD 3.08

$0.36 ฿11.75

27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 TTD 10.12

$2.43 ฿78.8

-38.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 TTD 19.48

$3.63 ฿118

-20.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 TTD 14.23

$2.19 ฿71.1

-3.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 TTD 18.41

$1.81 ฿59.0

50.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 TTD 17.76

$2.23 ฿72.5

17.94%

Eggs

$5.12 TTD 34.57

$2.24 ฿72.7

128.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 TTD 53.2

$19.60 ฿637

-59.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 TTD 71.3

$3.72 ฿121

183.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.57 TTD 98.5

$13.47 ฿438

8.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.86 TTD 39.62

$3.36 ฿109

74.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 TTD 17.62

$1.62 ฿52.5

61.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 TTD 29.75

$2.41 ฿78.3

82.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 TTD 31.04

$1.99 ฿64.6

130.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 TTD 10.15

$1.53 ฿49.76

-1.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 TTD 11.11

$1.45 ฿47.19

13.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 TTD 13.27

$1.01 ฿32.96

94.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 TTD 6.77

$0.48 ฿15.73

108.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.21 TTD 35.19

$4.27 ฿139

22.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.13 TTD 129

$19.12 ฿621

0.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 TTD 9.92

$1.84 ฿59.7

-20.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 TTD 18.23

$2.74 ฿89.1

-1.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 TTD 6.85

$3.00 ฿97.6

-66.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 TTD 8.20

$1.05 ฿34.00

15.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.73 TTD 99.5

$13.90 ฿452

5.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 TTD 6.87

$1.29 ฿41.94

-20.93%

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

$33.7K TTD 227.9K

$28.0K ฿911.1K

20.35%

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

$37.9K TTD 256.2K

$33.5K ฿1.1M

13.21%

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

$80.7 TTD 545

$122 ฿3,964

-33.85%

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

$47.05 TTD 318

$13.93 ฿453

237.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 TTD 409

$18.87 ฿613

221.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$10.22 TTD 69.1

$8.89 ฿289

14.96%

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

$327 TTD 2,206

$691 ฿22.5K

-52.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,297 TTD 49.3K

$16.2K ฿525.2K

-54.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 TTD 403

$57.8 ฿1,878

3.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 TTD 255

$35.39 ฿1,150

6.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 TTD 983

$113 ฿3,685

28.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 TTD 394

$83.0 ฿2,698

-29.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 TTD 2,950

$607 ฿19.7K

-28.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 TTD 2,596

$448 ฿14.6K

-14.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 TTD 6,965

$2,029 ฿66.0K

-49.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 TTD 4,701

$1,493 ฿48.5K

-53.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

5.33

0.94%

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

Last update for Tunapuna: June 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Tunapuna and $607 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73.0 in Tunapuna vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $292 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

Tunapuna vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,864 in Tunapuna and $1,835 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: $437 in Tunapuna versus $607 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $327 in Tunapuna versus $691 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 $47.00 versus $73.0 in Tunapuna. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,243 in Tunapuna, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tunapuna. 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 Tunapuna, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tunapuna 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 2% less than in Tunapuna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.