Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Mumbai (Bombay): $813 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Mumbai (Bombay)
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Mumbai (Bombay) Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$813

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Mumbai (Bombay) $813
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,352 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,352
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,891 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,891
Phuket $3,154

Living in Mumbai (Bombay) costs roughly 36% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mumbai (Bombay) 40% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 ₹508

$4.47 ฿151

19.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.87 ₹1,982

$32.41 ฿1,093

-35.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₹387

$8.81 ฿297

-53.69%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ₹264

$2.83 ฿95.4

-1.77%

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

$0.40 ₹38.24

$0.87 ฿29.41

-54.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.42

$0.49 ฿16.65

-69.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 ₹251

$2.56 ฿86.3

3.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 ₹404

$3.68 ฿124

15.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 ₹70.5

$1.66 ฿55.9

-55.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.3

$1.46 ฿49.31

-63.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₹74.1

$1.50 ฿50.5

-48.00%

Eggs

$1.00 ₹95.1

$2.09 ฿70.5

-52.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.61 ₹533

$19.07 ฿643

-70.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₹340

$3.30 ฿111

8.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ₹206

$2.93 ฿98.9

-25.94%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.8

$1.69 ฿57.0

-59.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 ₹114

$2.25 ฿75.8

-46.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.33

$2.08 ฿70.0

-76.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 ₹31.71

$1.51 ฿51.0

-78.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.53

$1.38 ฿46.52

-73.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.79

$1.07 ฿35.96

-58.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.64

$0.52 ฿17.51

-40.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 ₹475

$4.20 ฿142

19.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹792

$18.79 ฿634

-55.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₹189

$1.82 ฿61.5

9.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ₹296

$2.84 ฿95.8

9.86%

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

$6.01 ₹570

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹18.95

$1.45 ฿48.98

-86.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.90 ₹655

$56.7 ฿1,912

-87.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 ₹29.84

$3.02 ฿102

-89.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.41

$1.02 ฿34.33

-69.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹153

$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)

$15.6K ₹1.5M

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-41.77%

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

$22.4K ₹2.1M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-16.07%

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

$61.9 ₹5,873

$96.4 ฿3,251

-35.81%

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

$4.52 ₹429

$11.26 ฿380

-59.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.97 ₹852

$16.85 ฿568

-46.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 ₹3,524

$67.2 ฿2,268

-44.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.11 ₹1,340

$10.73 ฿362

31.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₹476

$7.50 ฿253

-33.20%

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

$119 ₹11.3K

$476 ฿16.1K

-74.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,948 ₹469.8K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-56.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.37 ₹3,453

$62.4 ฿2,104

-41.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.71 ₹3,675

$28.41 ฿958

36.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.7 ₹5,196

$94.3 ฿3,181

-41.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.03 ₹4,561

$85.8 ฿2,895

-44.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₹60.7K

$716 ฿24.2K

-10.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ₹35.3K

$491 ฿16.6K

-24.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 ₹198.7K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

8.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 ₹87.8K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-35.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,706 ₹541.8K

$4,175 ฿140.9K

36.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,560 ₹243.1K

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-15.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₹71.9K

$502 ฿16.9K

50.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.29

5.57

48.83%

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

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mumbai (Bombay)

$372 45.7%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 32.1% $119

Groceries & Markets

Mumbai (Bombay)

$117 14.4%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 127% $149

Eating Out

Mumbai (Bombay)

$112 13.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 8.4% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Mumbai (Bombay)

$80 9.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 52.3% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mumbai (Bombay)

$75 9.3%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 65.2% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Mumbai (Bombay)

$47 5.8%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 74.5% $35

Getting Around

Mumbai (Bombay)

$9.6 1.2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 638% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21 in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $117 vs $266 per month, with Mumbai (Bombay) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:47 12:47 PM

14:17 2:17 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Mumbai (Bombay)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,442,373

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

Mumbai (Bombay) Phuket 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mumbai (Bombay)
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

Mumbai (Bombay) vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $1,278 in Phuket, so Mumbai (Bombay) is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Mumbai (Bombay), which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $640 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 127% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mumbai (Bombay) – a meal for two runs $21 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $813 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Mumbai (Bombay) but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mumbai (Bombay) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mumbai (Bombay) is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Mumbai (Bombay) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.