Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Balasore

For one person, living is cheaper in Balasore: $333 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
16

Cost of Living Index in Balasore
Learn more

Balasore Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Balasore

🇮🇳 India

$333

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Balasore

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 Balasore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $333 in Balasore.

Phuket $1,278
Balasore $333

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $524 in Balasore.

Phuket $2,216
Balasore $524

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $716 in Balasore.

Phuket $3,154
Balasore $716

Living in Phuket is roughly 284% more expensive than in Balasore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Balasore 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.60 ₹152

179.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$8.65 ₹824

274.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.07 ₹388

116.46%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$0.87 ₹82.9

225.29%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.29 ₹27.61

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.10 ₹9.69

390.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$1.28 ₹122

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.05 ₹195

79.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.49 ₹46.96

238.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.43 ₹40.56

239.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.62 ₹58.9

141.94%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$0.83 ₹78.8

151.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$2.99 ₹284

537.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.09 ₹199

57.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$1.86 ₹177

57.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$0.67 ₹63.6

152.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.07 ₹102

110.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.65 ₹62.3

220.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.25 ₹23.99

504.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.35 ₹32.88

294.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.33 ₹31.86

224.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.23 ₹21.87

126.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.00 ₹476

-16.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.56 ₹1,005

77.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.38 ₹131

31.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.17 ₹206

30.88%

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

$3.95 ₹376

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.49 ₹46.42

195.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$6.58 ₹627

761.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.80 ₹76.2

277.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.17 ₹15.88

500.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$1.64 ₹156

125.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.09 ₹104

34.86%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$8,401 ₹799.9K

218.75%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$23.0K ₹2.2M

16.06%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$22.44 ₹2,137

329.37%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$3.10 ₹295

263.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$7.01 ₹668

140.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$18.41 ₹1,753

265.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$0.86 ₹81.9

1147.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.04 ₹194

267.65%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$33.48 ₹3,188

1321.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$1,670 ₹159.0K

574.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$26.58 ₹2,531

134.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$25.82 ₹2,459

10.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$35.63 ₹3,392

164.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$29.14 ₹2,775

194.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$119 ₹11.3K

501.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$74.6 ₹7,099

558.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$263 ₹25.1K

631.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$166 ₹15.8K

760.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$565 ₹53.8K

638.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$383 ₹36.5K

694.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$402 ₹38.3K

24.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.8

-28.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Balasore: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Balasore

$75 22.4% 84.8% $416

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Balasore

$93 28% 65% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Balasore

$33 9.8% 73.8% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Balasore

$53 15.8% 56.7% $69

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Balasore

$48 14.3% 60.9% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Balasore

$22 6.8% 72.6% $60

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Balasore

$10 3.1% 85.6% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $119 in Balasore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 25% 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 Balasore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $93 per month, with Balasore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇳 Balasore

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

03:04 3:04 AM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

144,373

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.22 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Balasore 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Balasore

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 Balasore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Balasore wins on cost – living expenses run 74% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Balasore the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $119 in Balasore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Balasore – a meal for two runs $9 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $333 in Balasore – Balasore is about 74% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $333 in Balasore versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Balasore but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Balasore 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.

Expats usually find Balasore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.