Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kollam and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Kollam: $284 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

14

Cost of Living Index in Kollam
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Kollam Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Kollam

🇮🇳 India

$284

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kollam 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 Kollam and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $284 per month in Kollam vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Kollam $284
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $446 per month in Kollam vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Kollam $446
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $609 per month in Kollam vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Kollam $609
Phuket $3,154

Kollam is about 78% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kollam and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Kollam 79% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.03 ₹97.5

$4.47 ฿151

-76.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$6.14 ₹583

$32.41 ฿1,093

-81.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.23 ₹307

$8.81 ฿297

-63.34%

Cappuccino

$1.37 ₹130

$2.83 ฿95.4

-51.59%

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

$0.34 ₹31.99

$0.87 ฿29.41

-60.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 ₹11.54

$0.49 ฿16.65

-75.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 ₹126

$2.56 ฿86.3

-48.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₹177

$3.68 ฿124

-49.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.60 ₹57.4

$1.66 ฿55.9

-63.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 ₹45.65

$1.46 ฿49.31

-67.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.51 ₹47.98

$1.50 ฿50.5

-66.00%

Eggs

$0.78 ₹74.1

$2.09 ฿70.5

-62.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.59 ₹341

$19.07 ฿643

-81.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.13 ₹203

$3.30 ฿111

-35.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 ₹149

$2.93 ฿98.9

-46.42%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 ₹56.2

$1.69 ฿57.0

-65.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.70 ₹66.1

$2.25 ฿75.8

-68.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.63

$2.08 ฿70.0

-80.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 ₹32.95

$1.51 ฿51.0

-76.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 ₹33.54

$1.38 ฿46.52

-74.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₹57.8

$1.07 ฿35.96

-42.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₹25.68

$0.52 ฿17.51

-48.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.17 ₹491

$4.20 ฿142

23.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.70 ₹256

$18.79 ฿634

-85.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₹195

$1.82 ฿61.5

12.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ₹258

$2.84 ฿95.8

-4.23%

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

$3.35 ₹318

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 ₹15.88

$1.45 ฿48.98

-88.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.20 ₹684

$56.7 ฿1,912

-87.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₹76.8

$3.02 ฿102

-73.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ₹31.56

$1.02 ฿34.33

-67.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 ₹195

$3.69 ฿125

-44.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹106

$1.47 ฿49.76

-24.49%

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

$9,035 ₹857.8K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-66.26%

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

$16.6K ₹1.6M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-37.80%

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

$32.12 ₹3,050

$96.4 ฿3,251

-66.66%

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

$2.97 ₹282

$11.26 ฿380

-73.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.04 ₹479

$16.85 ฿568

-70.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.44 ₹1,276

$67.2 ฿2,268

-80.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.44 ₹991

$10.73 ฿362

-2.70%

Cinema Ticket

$1.54 ₹146

$7.50 ฿253

-79.47%

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

$21.19 ₹2,012

$476 ฿16.1K

-95.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,630 ₹249.7K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-76.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.30 ₹1,548

$62.4 ฿2,104

-73.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.34 ₹2,216

$28.41 ฿958

-17.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.49 ₹2,420

$94.3 ฿3,181

-72.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.42 ₹2,319

$85.8 ฿2,895

-71.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$82.2 ₹7,801

$716 ฿24.2K

-88.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$47.79 ₹4,538

$491 ฿16.6K

-90.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$182 ₹17.3K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-90.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 ₹10.9K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-91.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$834 ₹79.2K

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-80.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$449 ₹42.6K

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-85.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$525 ₹49.9K

$502 ฿16.9K

4.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.13

5.57

63.91%

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

Last update for Kollam: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kollam

$82 28.9%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 224% $184

Accommodation & Living

Kollam

$48 16.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 927% $443

Eating Out

Kollam

$47 16.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 161% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Kollam

$40 14.2%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 203% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kollam

$40 14.1%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 210% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Kollam

$17 5.8%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 398% $66

Getting Around

Kollam

$10 3.6%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 583% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $82 in Kollam versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 5% higher in Kollam, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $6 in Kollam versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $82 vs $266 – making Kollam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Kollam

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

02:44 2:44 AM

04:14 4:14 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Kollam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

367,107

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kollam Phuket 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kollam
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

Kollam vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 350% more than Kollam, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $426 per month in Kollam and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kollam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $82 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Groceries cost about 224% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $6 in Kollam and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kollam, where all-in costs run around $284, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Kollam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kollam – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Kollam is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 78% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.