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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $398 in Andaman Islands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $633 in Andaman Islands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $868 in Andaman Islands.

Living in Phuket is roughly 214% more expensive than in Andaman Islands, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Andaman Islands 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.38 ₹229

91.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,557

$10.44 ₹1,005

342.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$3.63 ₹349

143.53%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.54 ₹148

98.70%

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

$0.73 ฿24.46

$0.40 ₹38.76

82.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.42

$0.19 ₹18.39

110.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿82.0

$1.76 ₹170

38.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.05 ₹293

23.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.2

$1.07 ₹103

111.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿61.0

$0.50 ₹47.92

262.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿76.0

$0.84 ₹80.9

167.86%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.7

$0.94 ₹90.2

139.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿658

$4.87 ₹469

300.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$2.92 ₹281

25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿440

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.19 ₹211

47.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$0.68 ₹65.7

138.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.3

$1.00 ₹96.0

138.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$0.51 ₹49.07

298.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.7

$0.39 ₹37.32

292.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.41 ₹39.82

265.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.99

$0.49 ₹47.42

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.43

$0.27 ₹26.09

92.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿150

$3.96 ₹381

12.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿618

$7.19 ₹692

154.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.8

$1.74 ₹168

6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.4

$2.92 ₹281

-8.22%

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

$4.99 ₹481

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.57

$0.30 ₹29.02

370.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$8.71 ₹838

34.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.84 ₹80.7

270.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.14

$0.26 ₹25.07

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿476

$1.43 ₹138

886.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.20

$1.14 ₹110

14.91%

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

$27.8K ฿937.7K

$14.2K ₹1.4M

96.56%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$22.0K ₹2.1M

51.20%

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

$122 ฿4,127

$39.46 ₹3,797

210.29%

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

$13.59 ฿458

$3.38 ₹326

302.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿630

$7.61 ₹732

145.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,039

$15.94 ₹1,534

279.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿573

$6.94 ₹668

144.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿306

$2.88 ₹277

214.93%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$51.0 ₹4,908

1285.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿532.8K

$1,510 ₹145.3K

946.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,974

$24.67 ₹2,374

137.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,192

$25.33 ₹2,438

39.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,892

$43.49 ₹4,185

165.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,823

$31.93 ₹3,073

162.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$125 ₹12.0K

400.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$75.7 ₹7,284

488.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.8K

$275 ₹26.5K

641.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.3K

$180 ₹17.3K

729.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.4K

$995 ₹95.8K

249.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.9K

$506 ₹48.7K

409.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$289 ₹27.8K

73.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.67

-38.52%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Andaman Islands: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $125 in Andaman Islands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 73% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $10.00 in Andaman Islands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $110 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 214% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 73% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $125 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 34% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $51.0 in Andaman Islands. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $398 in Andaman Islands versus $1,250 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 214% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.