Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $766 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,262 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,757 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Mumbai (Bombay) costs roughly 39% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mumbai (Bombay) 42% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.16 ₹492

$4.48 ฿150

15.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.87 ₹2,086

$45.59 ฿1,521

-52.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 ₹448

$8.76 ฿292

-46.35%

Cappuccino

$2.63 ₹251

$2.97 ฿99.0

-11.45%

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

$0.47 ₹45.27

$0.69 ฿22.90

-31.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 ₹17.73

$0.39 ฿13.04

-51.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 ₹218

$2.53 ฿84.4

-9.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 ₹398

$3.75 ฿125

11.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 ₹69.6

$2.15 ฿71.6

-66.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 ₹45.80

$1.82 ฿60.6

-73.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₹79.6

$2.18 ฿72.9

-61.93%

Eggs

$1.05 ₹100.0

$2.25 ฿75.0

-53.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.06 ₹673

$20.00 ฿667

-64.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.79 ₹361

$3.63 ฿121

4.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₹220

$3.24 ฿108

-28.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 ₹77.1

$1.64 ฿54.6

-50.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₹120

$2.33 ฿77.8

-45.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.8

$2.07 ฿69.1

-66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹49.98

$1.55 ฿51.6

-66.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₹61.0

$1.46 ฿48.54

-56.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ₹65.3

$0.98 ฿32.86

-30.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₹33.41

$0.48 ฿16.09

-27.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ₹394

$4.35 ฿145

-4.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.41 ₹802

$18.57 ฿620

-54.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₹201

$1.86 ฿61.9

13.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 ₹328

$2.65 ฿88.6

29.43%

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

$6.96 ₹664

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₹22.96

$1.42 ฿47.28

-83.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.52 ₹431

$11.57 ฿386

-60.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.33 ₹31.79

$3.17 ฿106

-89.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 ₹136

$13.89 ฿463

-89.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₹118

$1.34 ฿44.84

-8.21%

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

$17.2K ₹1.6M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-38.23%

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

$24.7K ₹2.4M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-26.03%

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

$50.0 ₹4,773

$123 ฿4,105

-59.33%

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

$4.84 ₹462

$13.77 ฿459

-64.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.88 ₹847

$18.33 ฿611

-51.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.13 ₹2,205

$60.7 ฿2,025

-61.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.04 ₹1,148

$17.16 ฿573

-29.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 ₹439

$8.87 ฿296

-48.14%

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

$119 ₹11.4K

$688 ฿22.9K

-82.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,313 ₹316.0K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-79.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.89 ₹2,851

$59.3 ฿1,978

-49.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.14 ₹2,874

$34.69 ฿1,157

-13.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.7 ₹5,312

$115 ฿3,843

-51.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.93 ₹3,904

$83.8 ฿2,794

-51.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$702 ₹67.0K

$621 ฿20.7K

13.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 ₹34.5K

$446 ฿14.9K

-18.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 ₹169.3K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-12.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 ₹80.6K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-43.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,137 ₹585.3K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

77.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,570 ₹245.1K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

1.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$767 ₹73.2K

$494 ฿16.5K

55.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.22

5.33

72.98%

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

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $702 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 55% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $129 vs $291 per month, with Mumbai (Bombay) 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

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

Mumbai (Bombay) and Phuket differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($766 vs $1,264 including rent). Mumbai (Bombay) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% 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: $702 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 126% 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 $22.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $766 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 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.

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, Mumbai (Bombay) 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 Mumbai (Bombay) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.