Cost of Living Comparison Between Benares and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Benares and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $988 per month in Benares vs $1,261 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,582 per month in Benares vs $2,286 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,177 per month in Benares vs $3,310 in Phuket, rent included.

Benares is about 22% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Benares and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Benares 27% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.41 MUR 302

$4.56 ฿149

40.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.06 MUR 2,075

$46.63 ฿1,519

-5.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 MUR 307

$8.47 ฿276

-23.14%

Cappuccino

$2.65 MUR 125

$3.03 ฿98.6

-12.54%

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

$1.01 MUR 47.71

$0.69 ฿22.45

46.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 MUR 26.17

$0.37 ฿11.92

51.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 MUR 101

$2.49 ฿81.0

-13.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 MUR 130

$3.66 ฿119

-24.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MUR 70.3

$2.18 ฿71.0

-31.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 MUR 31.30

$1.90 ฿62.0

-65.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MUR 62.7

$2.20 ฿71.6

-39.55%

Eggs

$2.34 MUR 110

$2.22 ฿72.4

5.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 MUR 457

$19.99 ฿651

-51.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 MUR 287

$3.66 ฿119

66.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 MUR 501

$13.25 ฿432

-19.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 MUR 93.1

$3.23 ฿105

-38.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 MUR 93.1

$1.70 ฿55.3

16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MUR 68.3

$2.39 ฿78.0

-39.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 MUR 123

$2.08 ฿67.7

25.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 47.74

$1.59 ฿51.8

-36.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 44.92

$1.48 ฿48.31

-35.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 MUR 40.43

$1.03 ฿33.54

-16.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MUR 24.69

$0.52 ฿16.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 MUR 279

$4.25 ฿138

39.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.62 MUR 453

$18.79 ฿612

-48.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MUR 82.2

$1.76 ฿57.2

-1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 MUR 99.1

$2.76 ฿89.8

-23.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 MUR 47.46

$1.36 ฿44.32

-25.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 MUR 209

$3.14 ฿102

41.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 MUR 125

$1.04 ฿33.74

154.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.59 MUR 734

$13.77 ฿448

13.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MUR 68.3

$1.34 ฿43.79

8.21%

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

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

30.30%

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

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-14.80%

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

$48.72 MUR 2,294

$124 ฿4,025

-60.58%

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

$18.00 MUR 848

$13.52 ฿440

33.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.52 MUR 1,532

$18.69 ฿609

74.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.81 MUR 1,781

$61.8 ฿2,013

-38.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 MUR 281

$9.14 ฿298

-34.79%

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

$154 MUR 7,261

$703 ฿22.9K

-78.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,916 MUR 184.4K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-75.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.65 MUR 2,338

$59.5 ฿1,937

-16.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.37 MUR 2,089

$35.07 ฿1,142

26.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 MUR 3,934

$115 ฿3,754

-27.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.3 MUR 3,688

$84.1 ฿2,737

-6.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MUR 24.1K

$619 ฿20.1K

-17.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 MUR 16.7K

$433 ฿14.1K

-17.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$935 MUR 44.0K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-54.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 MUR 34.1K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-52.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

5.33

17.26%

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

Last update for Benares: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $511 in Benares versus $619 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Benares versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $293 – making Benares the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Benares vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $988 in Benares, $1,261 in Phuket – roughly 28% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,481 per month in Benares and $1,892 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benares, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Benares and $47.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Benares, where all-in costs run around $988, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Benares it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Benares has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $988 in Benares to $1,261 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Benares. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.