Cost of Living Comparison Between Bhilai and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bhilai and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $307 in Bhilai versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $501 in Bhilai versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $696 in Bhilai versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Bhilai costs roughly 75% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bhilai 77% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Bhilai
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.68 â‚đ254
$4.63 āļŋ151
-42.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$7.93 â‚đ751
$46.84 āļŋ1,523
-83.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.22 â‚đ305
$8.84 āļŋ287
-63.57%
Cappuccino
$1.80 â‚đ170
$3.00 āļŋ97.4
-40.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 â‚đ28.70
$0.74 āļŋ24.11
-59.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.18 â‚đ17.47
$0.37 āļŋ11.88
-51.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.52 â‚đ144
$2.44 āļŋ79.3
-37.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 â‚đ294
$3.61 āļŋ117
-13.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bhilai
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.69 â‚đ65.0
$2.26 āļŋ73.5
-69.47%
White Bread (500g)
$0.32 â‚đ30.67
$1.84 āļŋ59.8
-82.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.69 â‚đ65.4
$2.24 āļŋ73.0
-69.20%
Eggs
$0.88 â‚đ83.4
$2.32 āļŋ75.3
-62.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.75 â‚đ450
$19.67 āļŋ639
-75.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.71 â‚đ257
$3.65 āļŋ119
-25.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$13.10 āļŋ426
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.14 â‚đ202
$3.39 āļŋ110
-36.87%
Banana (1kg)
$0.60 â‚đ56.9
$1.64 āļŋ53.4
-63.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.62 â‚đ58.5
$2.41 āļŋ78.5
-74.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.40 â‚đ37.53
$2.03 āļŋ66.0
-80.30%
Potato (1kg)
$0.43 â‚đ40.31
$1.56 āļŋ50.6
-72.44%
Onion (1kg)
$0.46 â‚đ43.84
$1.50 āļŋ48.66
-69.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.24 â‚đ22.73
$1.02 āļŋ33.30
-76.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.27 â‚đ25.49
$0.49 āļŋ15.91
-44.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.27 â‚đ215
$4.45 āļŋ145
-48.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.75 â‚đ450
$18.88 āļŋ614
-74.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 â‚đ95.7
$1.78 āļŋ57.7
-43.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 â‚đ226
$2.75 āļŋ89.5
-13.09%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$4.12 â‚đ390
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Bhilai
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 â‚đ20.78
$1.40 āļŋ45.54
-84.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$2.88 â‚đ273
$11.48 āļŋ373
-74.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.13 â‚đ107
$3.12 āļŋ101
-63.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.24 â‚đ22.83
$1.00 āļŋ32.48
-76.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.70 â‚đ161
$14.09 āļŋ458
-87.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 â‚đ110
$1.35 āļŋ43.93
-14.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.8K â‚đ1.1M
$27.2K āļŋ883.7K
-56.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.8K â‚đ1.9M
$32.9K āļŋ1.1M
-39.76%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bhilai
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$23.49 â‚đ2,223
$125 āļŋ4,063
-81.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.87 â‚đ366
$13.57 āļŋ441
-71.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.08 â‚đ575
$18.52 āļŋ602
-67.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bhilai
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$3.59 â‚đ340
$61.5 āļŋ1,999
-94.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.82 â‚đ646
$16.84 āļŋ547
-59.50%
Cinema Ticket
$1.69 â‚đ160
$9.19 āļŋ299
-81.61%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Bhilai
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$57.6 â‚đ5,450
$698 āļŋ22.7K
-91.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,520 â‚đ143.8K
$15.6K āļŋ506.9K
-90.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bhilai
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.33 â‚đ1,640
$57.8 āļŋ1,878
-70.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.62 â‚đ1,667
$35.24 āļŋ1,146
-50.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$17.15 â‚đ1,622
$113 āļŋ3,677
-84.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$28.00 â‚đ2,650
$86.4 āļŋ2,808
-67.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bhilai
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$125 â‚đ11.9K
$616 āļŋ20.0K
-79.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$68.7 â‚đ6,504
$446 āļŋ14.5K
-84.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$270 â‚đ25.6K
$2,048 āļŋ66.6K
-86.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$178 â‚đ16.8K
$1,492 āļŋ48.5K
-88.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,779 āļŋ122.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,649 āļŋ86.1K
-
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Bhilai
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 â‚đ62.2K
$524 āļŋ17.0K
25.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8
5.33
50.09%

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

Last update for Bhilai: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $125 in Bhilai and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhilai pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $8.00 in Bhilai vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $89.0 vs $292 per month, with Bhilai 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
Bhilai vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bhilai and Phuket?
Bhilai and Phuket differ by about 302% in total monthly costs ($307 vs $1,232 including rent). Bhilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Bhilai or Phuket?
Bhilai pays 26% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Bhilai and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $125 in Bhilai versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Bhilai and Phuket?
Childcare runs $57.6 in Bhilai versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 229% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $307 in Bhilai versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bhilai but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bhilai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Bhilai and Phuket?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Bhilai or Phuket safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Bhilai 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.
Where should expats move: Bhilai or Phuket?
Expats usually find Bhilai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 302% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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