Cost of Living Comparison Between Tuzla and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tuzla and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $894 in Tuzla versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,311 in Tuzla versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,728 in Tuzla versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Tuzla costs roughly 29% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tuzla 33% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.19 BAM 8.72

$4.70 ฿153

10.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 BAM 49.83

$45.37 ฿1,482

-34.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 BAM 10.17

$8.43 ฿275

-28.11%

Cappuccino

$1.67 BAM 2.80

$2.93 ฿95.6

-43.00%

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

$1.79 BAM 3.02

$0.69 ฿22.40

159.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 BAM 1.70

$0.37 ฿11.99

172.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 BAM 3.99

$2.41 ฿78.6

-1.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 BAM 3.49

$3.72 ฿122

-44.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 BAM 1.93

$2.23 ฿72.9

-48.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 BAM 1.65

$1.83 ฿59.8

-46.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 BAM 3.55

$2.17 ฿70.8

-2.76%

Eggs

$2.68 BAM 4.51

$2.21 ฿72.3

21.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.04 BAM 13.51

$19.74 ฿645

-59.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.50 BAM 12.61

$3.63 ฿119

106.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 BAM 17.93

$13.53 ฿442

-21.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 BAM 1.92

$3.28 ฿107

-65.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 BAM 2.63

$1.61 ฿52.6

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 BAM 2.49

$2.41 ฿78.6

-38.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 BAM 2.00

$2.08 ฿68.1

-42.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 BAM 1.68

$1.53 ฿49.93

-34.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 BAM 1.60

$1.48 ฿48.36

-35.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 BAM 1.48

$0.99 ฿32.29

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 BAM 1.24

$0.51 ฿16.67

45.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 BAM 6.00

$4.41 ฿144

-19.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.09 BAM 6.87

$19.38 ฿633

-78.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 BAM 1.28

$1.78 ฿58.1

-57.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 BAM 1.66

$2.71 ฿88.6

-63.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 BAM 2.53

$1.37 ฿44.79

10.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.22 BAM 79.3

$11.39 ฿372

314.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 BAM 3.05

$3.02 ฿98.6

-40.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 BAM 0.89

$0.99 ฿32.48

-46.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 BAM 9.64

$14.10 ฿461

-59.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 BAM 2.49

$1.36 ฿44.51

8.82%

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

$30.0K BAM 50.5K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

6.48%

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

$23.8K BAM 39.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-27.79%

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

$137 BAM 230

$122 ฿3,975

12.56%

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

$18.41 BAM 30.93

$13.57 ฿443

35.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.56 BAM 44.62

$18.31 ฿598

45.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.46 BAM 52.9

$60.2 ฿1,967

-47.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.78 BAM 14.75

$17.14 ฿560

-48.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 BAM 9.84

$8.69 ฿284

-32.57%

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

$172 BAM 288

$693 ฿22.6K

-75.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,335 BAM 3,924

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-85.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.9 BAM 118

$59.5 ฿1,944

17.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.10 BAM 69.1

$34.77 ฿1,136

18.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 BAM 144

$115 ฿3,743

-25.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.7 BAM 127

$83.3 ฿2,720

-9.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 BAM 443

$613 ฿20.0K

-56.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 BAM 321

$437 ฿14.3K

-56.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$351 BAM 590

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-83.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 BAM 444

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-82.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,577 BAM 4,330

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-31.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,847 BAM 3,103

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-29.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$973 BAM 1,635

$508 ฿16.6K

91.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

5.33

-20.64%

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

Last update for Tuzla: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $264 in Tuzla and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tuzla pays 92% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Tuzla vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $293 per month, with Tuzla 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

Tuzla vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tuzla is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tuzla pays 92% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $264 in Tuzla versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $172 in Tuzla versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $894 in Tuzla versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tuzla but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tuzla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tuzla 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, Tuzla 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 Tuzla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.