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: $934 in Tuzla versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,380 in Tuzla versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,826 in Tuzla versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Tuzla costs roughly 25% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tuzla 32% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.43 BAM 9.16

$4.56 ฿151

19.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.13 BAM 49.13

$32.62 ฿1,082

-10.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 BAM 9.87

$8.90 ฿295

-34.27%

Cappuccino

$1.89 BAM 3.19

$2.80 ฿93.0

-32.50%

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

$1.82 BAM 3.07

$0.88 ฿29.19

106.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 BAM 2.17

$0.49 ฿16.23

163.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 BAM 4.60

$2.39 ฿79.2

14.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 BAM 3.77

$3.71 ฿123

-39.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 BAM 1.95

$1.79 ฿59.3

-35.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 BAM 1.55

$1.44 ฿47.81

-36.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 BAM 3.59

$1.58 ฿52.6

34.81%

Eggs

$2.63 BAM 4.44

$2.13 ฿70.5

23.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 BAM 13.61

$19.92 ฿661

-59.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.48 BAM 12.61

$3.43 ฿114

118.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 BAM 18.74

$11.33 ฿376

-1.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 BAM 1.98

$2.95 ฿97.8

-60.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 BAM 2.81

$1.72 ฿57.1

-3.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 BAM 2.36

$2.32 ฿77.1

-39.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 BAM 2.08

$2.08 ฿69.0

-40.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 BAM 1.64

$1.47 ฿48.77

-34.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 BAM 1.79

$1.36 ฿45.05

-22.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 BAM 1.25

$1.10 ฿36.45

-32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 BAM 1.22

$0.57 ฿19.06

28.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 BAM 6.78

$4.27 ฿142

-5.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.04 BAM 6.82

$18.42 ฿611

-78.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 BAM 1.37

$1.87 ฿62.1

-56.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 BAM 1.55

$2.92 ฿96.9

-68.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 BAM 2.57

$2.22 ฿73.6

-31.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.73 BAM 83.9

$22.90 ฿759

117.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 BAM 2.92

$3.03 ฿101

-42.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 BAM 1.02

$1.07 ฿35.63

-42.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.00 BAM 10.12

$3.93 ฿130

52.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 BAM 2.64

$1.49 ฿49.49

5.37%

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

$31.7K BAM 53.4K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

16.68%

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

$22.3K BAM 37.7K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

-18.65%

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

$139 BAM 235

$103 ฿3,410

35.34%

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

$18.48 BAM 31.17

$10.99 ฿365

68.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 BAM 46.56

$17.51 ฿581

57.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.53 BAM 56.6

$53.5 ฿1,776

-37.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.14 BAM 15.42

$11.20 ฿371

-18.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 BAM 9.86

$7.48 ฿248

-21.79%

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

$206 BAM 348

$557 ฿18.5K

-62.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,413 BAM 4,070

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-79.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 BAM 100

$64.1 ฿2,125

-7.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.18 BAM 57.7

$29.07 ฿964

17.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 BAM 151

$96.0 ฿3,183

-6.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.2 BAM 144

$90.3 ฿2,997

-5.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 BAM 447

$730 ฿24.2K

-63.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 BAM 335

$500 ฿16.6K

-60.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 BAM 852

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-75.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 BAM 487

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-76.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,517 BAM 4,245

$3,596 ฿119.3K

-30.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,857 BAM 3,131

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-26.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 BAM 1,608

$503 ฿16.7K

89.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

5.57

-22.26%

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

Last update for Tuzla: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $265 in Tuzla and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tuzla pays 89% 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 $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $273 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 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 89% 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: $265 in Tuzla versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $206 in Tuzla versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $934 in Tuzla versus $1,253 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 34% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.