Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota: $338 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

16

Cost of Living Index in Kota
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Kota Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Kota

🇮🇳 India

$338

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $338 in Kota versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Kota $338
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $539 in Kota versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Kota $539
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $739 in Kota versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Kota $739
Phuket $3,154

Living in Kota costs roughly 74% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kota 75% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.05 ₹195

$4.47 ฿151

-54.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.94 ₹754

$32.41 ฿1,093

-75.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.69 ₹255

$8.81 ฿297

-69.47%

Cappuccino

$0.70 ₹66.6

$2.83 ฿95.4

-75.27%

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

$0.36 ₹33.93

$0.87 ฿29.41

-58.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 ₹17.71

$0.49 ฿16.65

-61.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 ₹153

$2.56 ฿86.3

-37.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ₹307

$3.68 ฿124

-12.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 ₹57.5

$1.66 ฿55.9

-63.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₹42.20

$1.46 ฿49.31

-69.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.8

$1.50 ฿50.5

-54.67%

Eggs

$0.83 ₹78.9

$2.09 ฿70.5

-60.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 ₹418

$19.07 ฿643

-76.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.66 ₹253

$3.30 ฿111

-19.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 ₹147

$2.93 ฿98.9

-47.10%

Banana (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.13

$1.69 ฿57.0

-71.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.67 ₹63.9

$2.25 ฿75.8

-70.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.58

$2.08 ฿70.0

-80.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 ₹33.55

$1.51 ฿51.0

-76.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹38.24

$1.38 ฿46.52

-71.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 ₹29.06

$1.07 ฿35.96

-71.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₹26.29

$0.52 ฿17.51

-46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 ₹399

$4.20 ฿142

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 ₹728

$18.79 ฿634

-59.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₹146

$1.82 ฿61.5

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₹177

$2.84 ฿95.8

-34.51%

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

$4.82 ₹458

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ₹48.25

$1.45 ฿48.98

-64.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.77 ₹2,447

$56.7 ฿1,912

-54.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.33 ₹31.39

$3.02 ฿102

-89.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₹20.92

$1.02 ฿34.33

-78.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ₹101

$3.69 ฿125

-71.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₹106

$1.47 ฿49.76

-23.81%

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

$11.3K ₹1.1M

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-57.82%

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

$17.2K ₹1.6M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-35.62%

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

$13.27 ₹1,260

$96.4 ฿3,251

-86.23%

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

$2.58 ₹245

$11.26 ฿380

-77.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.15 ₹584

$16.85 ฿568

-63.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.33 ₹981

$67.2 ฿2,268

-84.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.26 ₹404

$10.73 ฿362

-60.30%

Cinema Ticket

$3.18 ₹302

$7.50 ฿253

-57.60%

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

$34.18 ₹3,246

$476 ฿16.1K

-92.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$655 ₹62.2K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-94.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.28 ₹2,116

$62.4 ฿2,104

-64.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.09 ₹3,142

$28.41 ฿958

16.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.97 ₹3,320

$94.3 ฿3,181

-62.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$20.80 ₹1,975

$85.8 ฿2,895

-75.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$135 ₹12.8K

$716 ฿24.2K

-81.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$79.1 ₹7,507

$491 ฿16.6K

-83.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₹23.6K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-87.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 ₹16.6K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-87.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$558 ₹52.9K

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-86.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$344 ₹32.7K

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-88.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$422 ₹40.1K

$502 ฿16.9K

-15.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

5.57

34.65%

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

Last update for Kota: 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

Kota

$92 27.1%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 191% $175

Accommodation & Living

Kota

$79 23.4%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 521% $412

Clothing & Footwear

Kota

$50 14.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 144% $72

Eating Out

Kota

$50 14.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 145% $72

Getting Around

Kota

$29 8.6%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 141% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota

$22 6.5%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 466% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Kota

$17 4.9%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 393% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $135 in Kota and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 19% 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: $8 in Kota vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $92 vs $266 per month, with Kota cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Kota

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:47 12:47 AM

02:17 2:17 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Kota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,001,400

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

Kota Phuket 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kota
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

Kota vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $338 in Kota and $1,278 in Phuket, so Kota is about 74% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Kota. 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: $135 in Kota versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 191% 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 $8 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $338 in Kota versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

Expats usually find Kota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.