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: $891 in Tuzla versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,315 in Tuzla versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,738 in Tuzla versus $3,317 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

$5.24 BAM 8.97

$4.55 ฿153

15.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.47 BAM 50.4

$46.18 ฿1,554

-36.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.84 BAM 9.99

$8.84 ฿298

-33.94%

Cappuccino

$1.67 BAM 2.85

$3.06 ฿103

-45.42%

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

$1.75 BAM 2.99

$0.73 ฿24.42

139.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 BAM 1.81

$0.40 ฿13.40

165.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 BAM 4.10

$2.43 ฿81.8

-1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 BAM 3.58

$3.78 ฿127

-44.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 BAM 2.00

$2.26 ฿76.0

-48.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 BAM 1.74

$1.81 ฿60.9

-43.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 BAM 3.61

$2.25 ฿75.8

-6.22%

Eggs

$2.54 BAM 4.34

$2.25 ฿75.6

12.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 BAM 13.81

$19.51 ฿656

-58.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 BAM 12.93

$3.65 ฿123

107.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 BAM 18.21

$13.05 ฿439

-18.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 BAM 1.93

$3.23 ฿109

-65.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 BAM 2.70

$1.62 ฿54.4

-2.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 BAM 2.53

$2.38 ฿80.2

-37.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 BAM 2.00

$2.03 ฿68.2

-42.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 BAM 1.57

$1.53 ฿51.6

-39.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 BAM 1.54

$1.50 ฿50.5

-40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 BAM 1.41

$0.98 ฿32.93

-15.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 BAM 1.20

$0.52 ฿17.40

34.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 BAM 6.34

$4.44 ฿149

-16.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.00 BAM 6.84

$18.32 ฿616

-78.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 BAM 1.31

$1.86 ฿62.7

-59.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 BAM 1.61

$2.68 ฿90.2

-64.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 BAM 2.55

$1.41 ฿47.49

5.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.53 BAM 81.3

$11.70 ฿394

306.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 BAM 3.01

$3.11 ฿105

-43.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 BAM 0.95

$1.04 ฿35.08

-46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 BAM 10.31

$14.11 ฿475

-57.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 BAM 2.48

$1.31 ฿44.13

10.69%

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

$29.4K BAM 50.3K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

5.73%

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

$23.5K BAM 40.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-29.11%

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

$139 BAM 238

$122 ฿4,120

13.84%

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

$18.26 BAM 31.23

$13.59 ฿457

34.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.70 BAM 45.67

$18.70 ฿629

42.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.24 BAM 53.4

$60.5 ฿2,035

-48.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.98 BAM 15.36

$16.98 ฿572

-47.11%

Cinema Ticket

$5.82 BAM 9.95

$9.07 ฿305

-35.83%

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

$170 BAM 291

$706 ฿23.8K

-75.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,385 BAM 4,079

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-84.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 BAM 120

$58.6 ฿1,970

19.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.65 BAM 69.5

$35.36 ฿1,190

14.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 BAM 147

$115 ฿3,885

-25.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 BAM 128

$83.7 ฿2,818

-10.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 BAM 449

$626 ฿21.1K

-58.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 BAM 328

$445 ฿15.0K

-56.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$351 BAM 601

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-82.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 BAM 450

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-82.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,489 BAM 4,258

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-28.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,807 BAM 3,091

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-29.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$953 BAM 1,630

$500 ฿16.8K

90.64%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $263 in Tuzla and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tuzla pays 91% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Tuzla vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $289 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 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 91% higher in Tuzla, 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: $263 in Tuzla versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $170 in Tuzla versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $891 in Tuzla versus $1,250 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 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.