Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Andaman Islands Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Andaman Islands

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $364 in Andaman Islands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $568 in Andaman Islands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $773 in Andaman Islands.

Living in Phuket is roughly 244% more expensive than in Andaman Islands, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Andaman Islands 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.15 ₹204

112.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$6.22 ₹587

424.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$3.70 ₹349

140.54%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.34 ₹127

108.96%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.71 ₹67.2

23.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.17 ₹15.83

188.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.38 ₹130

73.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.84 ₹268

30.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$0.90 ₹84.6

98.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.49 ₹46.43

193.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.72 ₹68.0

119.44%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.22 ₹116

74.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$4.63 ₹437

330.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$2.91 ₹275

17.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$1.97 ₹186

49.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$0.69 ₹65.6

149.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$0.93 ₹87.7

149.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$0.47 ₹44.66

342.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.35 ₹32.67

320.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.69 ₹65.2

97.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.45 ₹42.88

144.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.25 ₹23.81

128.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$5.03 ₹476

-15.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$7.26 ₹686

153.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.66 ₹156

12.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.63 ₹249

11.03%

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

$5.33 ₹503

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.27 ₹25.49

722.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$7.93 ₹750

188.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.76 ₹71.4

298.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.23 ₹21.85

365.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$1.56 ₹147

151.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.05 ₹99.5

41.90%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$12.7K ₹1.2M

113.69%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$19.3K ₹1.8M

42.10%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$36.07 ₹3,408

185.00%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$3.39 ₹320

224.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$6.73 ₹636

160.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$14.25 ₹1,346

275.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$7.29 ₹689

53.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$2.31 ₹219

223.81%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$43.72 ₹4,131

1173.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$1,429 ₹135.0K

729.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$24.87 ₹2,350

157.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$19.99 ₹1,889

45.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$42.55 ₹4,021

125.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$30.57 ₹2,889

195.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$128 ₹12.1K

470.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$72.2 ₹6,825

592.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$271 ₹25.6K

671.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$192 ₹18.2K

529.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$979 ₹92.5K

267.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$512 ₹48.3K

391.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$294 ₹27.8K

71.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.86

-37.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Andaman Islands: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $128 in Andaman Islands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 71% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $6.00 in Andaman Islands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $106 per month, with Andaman Islands 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

Phuket vs Andaman Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Andaman Islands is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 244% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 71% higher in Phuket, 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: $730 in Phuket versus $128 in Andaman Islands. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Andaman Islands runs roughly 189% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $43.72 in Andaman Islands. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $364 in Andaman Islands versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Andaman Islands but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Andaman Islands the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Andaman Islands 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Andaman Islands 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 Andaman Islands 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.