Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Balasore Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Balasore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $375 in Balasore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $590 in Balasore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $805 in Balasore.

Living in Phuket is roughly 237% more expensive than Balasore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Balasore 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.05 ₹195

129.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$8.77 ₹835

417.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.64 ₹442

81.68%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.11 ₹106

163.96%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.38 ₹35.75

81.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.13 ₹12.04

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.59 ₹152

51.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.89 ₹275

28.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.61 ₹58.3

265.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.43 ₹40.59

325.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.47 ₹45.17

361.70%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$0.91 ₹87.0

142.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$3.33 ₹317

492.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.37 ₹226

53.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.11 ₹201

55.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.73 ₹69.5

120.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.15 ₹109

109.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.59 ₹56.2

252.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.23 ₹21.74

565.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.30 ₹29.02

393.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.42 ₹40.21

135.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.22 ₹20.91

131.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.58 ₹246

70.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.40 ₹800

130.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.54 ₹147

15.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.39 ₹228

13.39%

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

$5.35 ₹510

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.51 ₹48.46

168.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$8.62 ₹821

32.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.61 ₹58.0

395.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.22 ₹20.86

350.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.07 ₹197

581.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.14 ₹109

19.30%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$15.4K ₹1.5M

83.28%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.0K ₹2.2M

42.76%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$27.03 ₹2,574

350.24%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$3.27 ₹311

314.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$7.12 ₹678

157.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$28.49 ₹2,714

111.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$0.94 ₹90.0

1723.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$2.24 ₹213

287.95%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$37.08 ₹3,532

1770.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,596 ₹152.0K

883.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$28.48 ₹2,712

109.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$30.50 ₹2,905

14.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$49.10 ₹4,677

133.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$30.87 ₹2,941

169.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$131 ₹12.5K

368.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$81.5 ₹7,760

436.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$289 ₹27.5K

624.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$184 ₹17.6K

718.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$567 ₹54.0K

560.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$388 ₹36.9K

574.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$413 ₹39.4K

22.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.8

-31.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Balasore: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $131 in Balasore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 23% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Balasore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $95.0 per month, with Balasore 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 Balasore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Balasore wins on cost – living expenses run 237% 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.

Phuket pays 23% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $131 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 $9.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $375 in Balasore – a 237% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $375 in Balasore versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 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 work as nomad bases, but Balasore delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $375 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Balasore hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Balasore 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 Balasore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 237% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.