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: $1,240 in Tunapuna versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tunapuna versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,791 in Tunapuna versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Tunapuna costs roughly 2% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tunapuna 7% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.90 TTD 39.60

$4.48 ฿150

31.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.9 TTD 503

$45.59 ฿1,521

64.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.76 TTD 45.36

$8.76 ฿292

-22.83%

Cappuccino

$2.92 TTD 19.64

$2.97 ฿99.0

-1.68%

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

$0.54 TTD 3.61

$0.69 ฿22.90

-21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 TTD 3.03

$0.39 ฿13.04

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 TTD 9.74

$2.53 ฿84.4

-42.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 TTD 19.74

$3.75 ฿125

-21.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 TTD 13.61

$2.15 ฿71.6

-5.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 TTD 18.92

$1.82 ฿60.6

54.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 TTD 18.01

$2.18 ฿72.9

22.94%

Eggs

$4.95 TTD 33.21

$2.25 ฿75.0

120.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 TTD 52.8

$20.00 ฿667

-60.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.31 TTD 69.2

$3.63 ฿121

184.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 TTD 94.2

$13.56 ฿452

3.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.66 TTD 38.00

$3.24 ฿108

74.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 TTD 16.71

$1.64 ฿54.6

51.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 TTD 29.17

$2.33 ฿77.8

86.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 TTD 31.14

$2.07 ฿69.1

124.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 TTD 9.69

$1.55 ฿51.6

-7.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 TTD 11.23

$1.46 ฿48.54

14.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 TTD 13.16

$0.98 ฿32.86

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 TTD 6.78

$0.48 ฿16.09

110.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 TTD 34.81

$4.35 ฿145

19.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.32 TTD 130

$18.57 ฿620

4.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 TTD 9.70

$1.86 ฿61.9

-22.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 TTD 19.07

$2.65 ฿88.6

7.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 TTD 7.10

$3.17 ฿106

-66.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 TTD 8.21

$1.03 ฿34.41

18.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.84 TTD 99.7

$13.89 ฿463

6.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 TTD 6.83

$1.34 ฿44.84

-23.88%

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

$34.0K TTD 228.6K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

22.47%

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

$39.1K TTD 262.3K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

17.01%

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

$81.2 TTD 545

$123 ฿4,105

-34.04%

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

$46.77 TTD 314

$13.77 ฿459

239.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 TTD 419

$18.33 ฿611

240.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 TTD 68.4

$8.87 ฿296

14.88%

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

$329 TTD 2,210

$688 ฿22.9K

-52.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,210 TTD 48.4K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-54.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 TTD 392

$59.3 ฿1,978

-1.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.16 TTD 256

$34.69 ฿1,157

10.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 TTD 977

$115 ฿3,843

26.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 TTD 397

$83.8 ฿2,794

-29.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 TTD 2,972

$621 ฿20.7K

-28.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 TTD 2,630

$446 ฿14.9K

-12.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 TTD 6,906

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-49.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 TTD 4,800

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-52.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Tunapuna and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75.0 in Tunapuna vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 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

Tunapuna vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tunapuna is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,860 in Tunapuna 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: $443 in Tunapuna versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 in Tunapuna 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 Tunapuna – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,240 in Tunapuna versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tunapuna but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tunapuna the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tunapuna 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, 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 Tunapuna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.