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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $390 in Balasore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $611 in Balasore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $832 in Balasore.

Living in Phuket is roughly 220% more expensive than in Balasore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Balasore 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.13 ₹205

113.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$8.52 ₹820

442.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$4.52 ₹435

95.58%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.07 ₹103

185.98%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.38 ₹36.57

92.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.14 ₹13.63

185.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.59 ₹153

52.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.96 ₹285

27.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.61 ₹58.7

270.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.42 ₹40.89

330.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.51 ₹48.65

341.18%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$0.97 ₹93.3

131.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$3.31 ₹319

489.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$2.39 ₹230

52.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.17 ₹209

48.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.71 ₹68.0

128.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.19 ₹115

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$0.58 ₹56.1

250.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.23 ₹22.11

565.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.33 ₹31.84

354.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.43 ₹41.28

127.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.22 ₹21.13

136.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.64 ₹254

68.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.15 ₹881

100.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.49 ₹144

24.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.37 ₹228

13.08%

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

$5.32 ₹513

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.54 ₹52.2

161.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$8.94 ₹861

30.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.61 ₹58.3

409.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.24 ₹23.23

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$2.02 ₹195

598.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.18 ₹113

11.02%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$15.8K ₹1.5M

75.78%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$22.3K ₹2.1M

48.74%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$26.72 ₹2,573

358.23%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$3.14 ₹302

332.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$7.35 ₹708

154.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$28.79 ₹2,771

110.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$0.95 ₹91.5

1687.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$2.22 ₹214

308.56%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$38.04 ₹3,662

1756.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$1,565 ₹150.7K

909.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$28.42 ₹2,736

106.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$30.23 ₹2,910

16.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$48.44 ₹4,664

138.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$31.17 ₹3,001

168.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$131 ₹12.6K

379.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$79.9 ₹7,690

457.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$297 ₹28.5K

587.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$179 ₹17.3K

731.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$577 ₹55.5K

503.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$382 ₹36.7K

575.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$401 ₹38.6K

24.76%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Balasore: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $131 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Balasore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $97.0 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 220% 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: $626 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,250 per month in Phuket versus $390 in Balasore – a 220% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $390 in Balasore versus $1,250 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 $390 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 220% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.