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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $976 in Benares, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,574 in Benares, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $2,172 in Benares, rent included.

Phuket costs about 30% more than Benares, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Benares are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Benares 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$6.75 MUR 316

-33.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$43.23 MUR 2,025

5.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.52 MUR 305

34.36%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.66 MUR 125

11.65%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.03 MUR 48.37

-33.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.56 MUR 26.28

-30.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.12 MUR 99.5

19.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.69 MUR 126

39.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.52 MUR 71.1

41.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.70 MUR 32.97

160.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.28 MUR 60.2

70.31%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.23 MUR 104

0.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$9.70 MUR 454

106.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.09 MUR 285

-40.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.35 MUR 485

31.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.97 MUR 92.2

64.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.01 MUR 94.0

-18.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.49 MUR 69.7

56.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.60 MUR 122

-20.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.02 MUR 47.84

51.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.02 MUR 47.65

43.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.81 MUR 37.72

20.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.56 MUR 26.32

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$6.12 MUR 286

-28.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.22 MUR 385

125.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.81 MUR 84.7

2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.17 MUR 102

22.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.00 MUR 46.72

42.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$4.49 MUR 210

-29.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.61 MUR 122

-60.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$15.48 MUR 725

-10.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.46 MUR 68.4

-8.22%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

-21.54%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$28.4K MUR 1.3M

17.40%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$50.4 MUR 2,361

144.10%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$18.43 MUR 863

-25.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$31.92 MUR 1,495

-42.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$38.06 MUR 1,783

59.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.14 MUR 287

44.46%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$155 MUR 7,258

343.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,941 MUR 184.6K

300.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$49.62 MUR 2,324

19.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$43.59 MUR 2,042

-20.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$80.9 MUR 3,790

42.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$80.3 MUR 3,759

4.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$520 MUR 24.4K

19.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$353 MUR 16.6K

26.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$939 MUR 44.0K

116.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$726 MUR 34.0K

105.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Benares: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $520 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $43.00 in Benares. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $213 – 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: $1,264 in Phuket, $976 in Benares – roughly 30% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 per month in Phuket and $1,464 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 $46.00 in Phuket and $43.00 in Benares. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% 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 $976, than in Phuket at $1,264. 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 $976 in Benares to $1,264 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.