Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kolkata (Calcutta) and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolkata (Calcutta): $434 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Kolkata (Calcutta)
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Kolkata (Calcutta) Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 India

$434

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kolkata (Calcutta) and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kolkata (Calcutta) and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $434 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $434
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $691 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $691
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $948 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $948
Phuket $3,154

Living in Kolkata (Calcutta) costs roughly 66% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kolkata (Calcutta) 68% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ₹198

$4.47 ฿151

-53.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.98 ₹1,327

$32.41 ฿1,093

-56.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.15 ₹394

$8.81 ฿297

-52.89%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ₹158

$2.83 ฿95.4

-41.34%

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

$0.45 ₹42.69

$0.87 ฿29.41

-48.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 ₹11.11

$0.49 ฿16.65

-75.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 ₹185

$2.56 ฿86.3

-23.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ₹286

$3.68 ฿124

-18.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 ₹63.4

$1.66 ฿55.9

-59.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₹47.53

$1.46 ฿49.31

-65.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.2

$1.50 ฿50.5

-50.67%

Eggs

$1.08 ₹102

$2.09 ฿70.5

-48.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.20 ₹494

$19.07 ฿643

-72.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.00 ₹285

$3.30 ฿111

-9.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 ₹230

$2.93 ฿98.9

-17.41%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 ₹77.0

$1.69 ฿57.0

-52.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ₹129

$2.25 ฿75.8

-39.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 ₹62.5

$2.08 ฿70.0

-68.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.66

$1.51 ฿51.0

-80.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 ₹44.83

$1.38 ฿46.52

-65.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 ₹29.00

$1.07 ฿35.96

-71.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₹26.82

$0.52 ฿17.51

-46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 ₹484

$4.20 ฿142

21.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 ₹983

$18.79 ฿634

-44.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ₹167

$1.82 ฿61.5

-3.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₹267

$2.84 ฿95.8

-0.70%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$7.01 ₹666

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₹16.66

$1.45 ฿48.98

-87.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.12 ₹296

$56.7 ฿1,912

-94.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₹76.7

$3.02 ฿102

-73.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.20

$1.02 ฿34.33

-69.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹152

$3.69 ฿125

-56.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹105

$1.47 ฿49.76

-25.17%

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

$13.1K ₹1.2M

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-50.92%

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

$23.3K ₹2.2M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-12.82%

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

$52.5 ₹4,987

$96.4 ฿3,251

-45.49%

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

$5.16 ₹490

$11.26 ฿380

-54.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.36 ₹699

$16.85 ฿568

-56.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.76 ₹1,496

$67.2 ฿2,268

-76.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.45 ₹1,088

$10.73 ฿362

6.71%

Cinema Ticket

$3.19 ₹303

$7.50 ฿253

-57.47%

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

$43.26 ₹4,107

$476 ฿16.1K

-90.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,997 ₹189.6K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-82.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.19 ₹2,581

$62.4 ฿2,104

-56.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.01 ₹2,470

$28.41 ฿958

-8.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.95 ₹3,413

$94.3 ฿3,181

-61.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.01 ₹2,754

$85.8 ฿2,895

-66.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 ₹15.9K

$716 ฿24.2K

-76.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$103 ₹9,802

$491 ฿16.6K

-78.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 ₹37.2K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-79.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ₹22.9K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-83.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,097 ₹104.2K

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-73.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$612 ₹58.1K

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-79.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$379 ₹36.0K

$502 ฿16.9K

-24.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.08

5.57

63.02%

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

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$117 27%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 128% $149

Accommodation & Living

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$103 23.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 376% $388

Eating Out

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$67 15.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 81.4% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$65 15%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 91.4% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$53 12.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 129% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$22 5.1%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 271% $60

Getting Around

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$6.2 1.4%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 1044% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $167 in Kolkata (Calcutta) and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 32% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $14 in Kolkata (Calcutta) vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $117 vs $266 per month, with Kolkata (Calcutta) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:47 3:47 PM

17:17 5:17 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Kolkata (Calcutta)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,486,679

79,308

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kolkata (Calcutta) Phuket 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Kolkata (Calcutta)
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Kolkata (Calcutta) vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolkata (Calcutta) wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kolkata (Calcutta) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Kolkata (Calcutta). That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $167 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $434 per month in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,278 in Phuket – Kolkata (Calcutta) is about 66% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 94% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $434 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Kolkata (Calcutta) but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kolkata (Calcutta) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Kolkata (Calcutta) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.