Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Amritsar

For one person, living is cheaper in Amritsar: $426 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Amritsar, India
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Amritsar
🇮🇳 India
$426
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Amritsar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Amritsar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $426 in Amritsar.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Amritsar $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $682 in Amritsar.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Amritsar $682

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $938 in Amritsar.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Amritsar $938

Living in Phuket is roughly 203% more expensive than in Amritsar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Amritsar 68% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Amritsar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿147
$2.14 ₹202
105.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,078
$8.59 ₹811
276.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿290
$3.44 ₹325
152.91%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿90.9
$1.91 ₹180
42.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.06
$0.41 ₹38.61
126.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.67
$0.20 ₹18.85
150.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿84.5
$1.57 ₹148
61.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿121
$3.14 ₹297
15.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Amritsar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$0.70 ₹66.0
148.57%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.42
$0.52 ₹48.82
178.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.1
$0.84 ₹79.1
78.57%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.5
$0.89 ₹84.0
143.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿637
$4.30 ₹406
343.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿113
$2.87 ₹271
18.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿364
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿98.2
$1.67 ₹158
76.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.5
$0.76 ₹71.8
122.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.2
$0.59 ₹55.6
271.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿70.9
$0.45 ₹42.13
371.11%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿48.68
$0.28 ₹26.03
421.43%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿45.66
$0.34 ₹32.25
302.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿35.91
$0.30 ₹28.76
260.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.21
$0.31 ₹28.90
77.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿148
$5.06 ₹478
-12.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿609
$11.43 ₹1,080
59.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.2
$1.72 ₹163
2.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿96.2
$2.66 ₹251
8.27%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$5.47 ₹517
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Amritsar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.32
$0.36 ₹33.69
302.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,832
$20.90 ₹1,974
162.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿50.5
$0.99 ₹93.3
52.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿25.90
$0.22 ₹20.80
254.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿128
$1.62 ₹153
137.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.65
$1.13 ₹107
31.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿897.3K
$11.5K ₹1.1M
134.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.4K
$25.6K ₹2.4M
2.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Amritsar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,265
$37.84 ₹3,575
158.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿377
$3.10 ₹293
264.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿574
$6.89 ₹651
149.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Amritsar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,281
$29.51 ₹2,788
131.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿365
$5.22 ₹493
109.20%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿248
$3.12 ₹295
138.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Amritsar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.7K
$38.75 ₹3,661
1268.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿626.9K
$1,606 ₹151.7K
1069.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Amritsar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,059
$27.84 ₹2,630
121.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿943
$24.92 ₹2,354
13.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,204
$53.7 ₹5,069
78.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,898
$43.63 ₹4,122
98.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Amritsar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.1K
$121 ₹11.5K
493.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.0K
$76.9 ₹7,263
561.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.1K
$288 ₹27.2K
576.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿46.6K
$214 ₹20.2K
552.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿139.9K
$1,141 ₹107.8K
267.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿110.1K
$808 ₹76.4K
308.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Amritsar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.4K
$387 ₹36.6K
27.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
8
-30.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Amritsar: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Amritsar
$77 84.9% $432
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Amritsar
$107 59.9% $160
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Amritsar
$48 62.1% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Amritsar
$68 45% $55
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Amritsar
$67 44% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Amritsar
$36 57% $47
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Amritsar
$24 63.1% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $121 in Amritsar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 27% 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: $32 in Phuket vs $9 in Amritsar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $107 per month, with Amritsar cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇮🇳 Amritsar
🕒 Local time
22:33 10:33 PM
21:03 9:03 PM
1 h 30 min behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
1,132,761
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.51 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 94.47 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.42 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Amritsar 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Amritsar

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
Phuket vs Amritsar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Amritsar?
Amritsar wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Amritsar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Phuket or in Amritsar?
Average pay runs 27% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket compared to Amritsar?
Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $121 in Amritsar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Phuket and in Amritsar?
Dining out is cheaper in Amritsar – a meal for two runs $9 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to Amritsar?
All in, you’ll spend $1,294 per month in Phuket versus $426 in Amritsar – Amritsar is about 67% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $800/month in Phuket or in Amritsar?
At $426 in Amritsar versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Amritsar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Amritsar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Phuket or Amritsar?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Amritsar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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