Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $366 in Kota versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $582 in Kota versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $798 in Kota versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Kota costs roughly 71% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kota 73% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.39 ₹228

$4.56 ฿149

-47.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.97 ₹853

$46.63 ฿1,519

-80.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.97 ₹283

$8.47 ฿276

-64.94%

Cappuccino

$0.75 ₹71.4

$3.03 ฿98.6

-75.25%

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

$0.37 ₹35.09

$0.69 ฿22.45

-46.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.75

$0.37 ฿11.92

-62.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 ₹162

$2.49 ฿81.0

-31.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₹296

$3.66 ฿119

-15.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.63 ₹60.0

$2.18 ฿71.0

-71.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 ₹41.16

$1.90 ฿62.0

-77.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 ₹71.5

$2.20 ฿71.6

-65.91%

Eggs

$0.90 ₹86.0

$2.22 ฿72.4

-59.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.89 ₹465

$19.99 ฿651

-75.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ₹257

$3.66 ฿119

-26.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 ₹168

$3.23 ฿105

-45.20%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 ₹53.1

$1.70 ฿55.3

-67.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.2

$2.39 ฿78.0

-69.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.46 ₹43.72

$2.08 ฿67.7

-77.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 ₹29.01

$1.59 ฿51.8

-80.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ₹43.64

$1.48 ฿48.31

-68.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 ₹34.67

$1.03 ฿33.54

-65.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₹32.03

$0.52 ฿16.83

-34.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ₹371

$4.25 ฿138

-8.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.70 ₹732

$18.79 ฿612

-59.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₹165

$1.76 ฿57.2

-1.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 ₹356

$2.76 ฿89.8

35.51%

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

$4.35 ₹414

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 ₹57.1

$1.36 ฿44.32

-55.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.95 ₹851

$11.36 ฿370

-21.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 ₹34.85

$3.14 ฿102

-88.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₹22.93

$1.04 ฿33.74

-76.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 ₹136

$13.77 ฿448

-89.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₹114

$1.34 ฿43.79

-10.45%

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

$11.8K ₹1.1M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-57.38%

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

$16.6K ₹1.6M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-51.12%

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

$30.71 ₹2,920

$124 ฿4,025

-75.15%

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

$2.92 ₹278

$13.52 ฿440

-78.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.16 ₹681

$18.69 ฿609

-61.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.68 ₹1,015

$61.8 ฿2,013

-82.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.32 ₹221

$17.25 ฿562

-86.55%

Cinema Ticket

$3.56 ₹338

$9.14 ฿298

-61.05%

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

$37.40 ₹3,557

$703 ฿22.9K

-94.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$728 ₹69.2K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-95.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.81 ₹1,979

$59.5 ฿1,937

-65.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.68 ₹2,632

$35.07 ฿1,142

-21.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.2 ₹4,866

$115 ฿3,754

-55.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.41 ₹2,416

$84.1 ฿2,737

-69.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₹15.2K

$619 ฿20.1K

-74.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.0 ₹8,558

$433 ฿14.1K

-79.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 ₹29.2K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-85.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 ₹17.7K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-87.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$562 ₹53.5K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-84.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 ₹31.8K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-87.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$423 ₹40.3K

$507 ฿16.5K

-16.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

5.33

40.71%

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

Last update for Kota: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $159 in Kota and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 20% 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: $9.00 in Kota vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $293 per month, with Kota 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

Kota vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kota and Phuket differ by about 244% in total monthly costs ($366 vs $1,261 including rent). Kota is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Phuket earns 20% less. 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: $159 in Kota versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 188% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kota – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $366 in Kota versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kota but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kota 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.

Safety-wise, Kota 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 Kota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 244% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.