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 $324 in Balasore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $513 in Balasore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $703 in Balasore.

Living in Phuket is roughly 291% more expensive than in Balasore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Balasore 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$1.66 ₹159

180.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$8.50 ₹812

279.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$4.16 ₹398

108.65%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$0.89 ₹85.1

225.84%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.31 ₹29.83

170.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.11 ₹10.92

345.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.29 ₹123

92.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.13 ₹203

75.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.47 ₹44.90

302.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.39 ₹37.37

261.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.62 ₹59.3

161.29%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$0.89 ₹85.3

151.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$2.93 ₹280

577.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$1.99 ₹190

74.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.80 ₹172

61.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.67 ₹63.6

156.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.04 ₹99.1

118.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.61 ₹58.1

249.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.25 ₹24.06

488.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.32 ₹30.40

343.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.30 ₹28.50

266.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.25 ₹24.03

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$5.12 ₹489

-15.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$10.46 ₹999

77.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.38 ₹132

30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.10 ₹201

41.43%

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

$3.83 ₹366

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.50 ₹47.44

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$6.50 ₹621

261.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.64 ₹61.2

384.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.18 ₹16.81

500.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$1.62 ₹155

138.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.11 ₹106

28.83%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$8,413 ₹803.7K

230.29%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$21.0K ₹2.0M

28.24%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$22.83 ₹2,181

359.05%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$3.12 ₹298

265.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$7.03 ₹672

149.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$18.78 ₹1,794

189.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$0.87 ₹83.2

1214.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$2.01 ₹192

287.06%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$33.75 ₹3,225

1608.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$1,659 ₹158.5K

598.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$25.05 ₹2,393

154.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$22.53 ₹2,152

29.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$33.58 ₹3,208

186.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$26.71 ₹2,551

236.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$118 ₹11.3K

521.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$73.3 ₹7,007

582.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$269 ₹25.7K

691.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$166 ₹15.8K

656.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$572 ₹54.6K

518.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$390 ₹37.2K

572.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$411 ₹39.3K

23.49%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Balasore: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $118 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $8.00 in Balasore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $91.0 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 291% 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 23% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $118 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 $8.00 versus $32.00 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 $324 in Balasore – a 291% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $324 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 $324 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 291% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.