Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Benares Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Benares

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $988 in Benares, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,582 in Benares, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $2,177 in Benares, rent included.

Phuket costs about 28% more than Benares, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Benares are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Benares 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$6.41 MUR 302

-28.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$44.06 MUR 2,075

5.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.51 MUR 307

30.11%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.65 MUR 125

14.34%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.01 MUR 47.71

-31.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.56 MUR 26.17

-33.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.15 MUR 101

15.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.76 MUR 130

32.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.49 MUR 70.3

46.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.66 MUR 31.30

187.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.33 MUR 62.7

65.41%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.34 MUR 110

-5.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.70 MUR 457

106.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.09 MUR 287

-39.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.65 MUR 501

24.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.98 MUR 93.1

63.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.98 MUR 93.1

-14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.45 MUR 68.3

64.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.61 MUR 123

-20.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.01 MUR 47.74

57.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.95 MUR 44.92

55.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.86 MUR 40.43

19.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.52 MUR 24.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.92 MUR 279

-28.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$9.62 MUR 453

95.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.74 MUR 82.2

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.10 MUR 99.1

31.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.01 MUR 47.46

34.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$4.43 MUR 209

-29.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.65 MUR 125

-60.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$15.59 MUR 734

-11.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.45 MUR 68.3

-7.59%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

-23.25%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

17.37%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$48.72 MUR 2,294

153.67%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$18.00 MUR 848

-24.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$32.52 MUR 1,532

-42.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$37.81 MUR 1,781

63.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.96 MUR 281

53.36%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$154 MUR 7,261

355.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$3,916 MUR 184.4K

305.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$49.65 MUR 2,338

19.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$44.37 MUR 2,089

-20.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$83.5 MUR 3,934

38.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$78.3 MUR 3,688

7.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$511 MUR 24.1K

21.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$355 MUR 16.7K

21.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$935 MUR 44.0K

120.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$724 MUR 34.1K

108.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.25

-14.72%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Benares: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $511 in Benares. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $44.00 in Benares. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $215 – making Benares the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Benares: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,261 in Phuket, $988 in Benares – roughly 28% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $1,481 in Benares. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benares, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $44.00 in Benares. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Benares, where all-in costs run around $988, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Benares it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $988 in Benares to $1,261 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Benares. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.