Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bhilai Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bhilai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $308 in Bhilai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $500 in Bhilai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $692 in Bhilai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 310% more expensive than Bhilai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bhilai 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.57 ₹244

77.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$8.08 ₹769

477.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.13 ₹298

170.61%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.82 ₹173

66.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.30 ₹28.84

130.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.17 ₹15.84

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.55 ₹148

60.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.11 ₹295

17.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.64 ₹60.8

240.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.30 ₹28.38

533.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.66 ₹62.7

233.33%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$0.95 ₹90.1

133.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$4.62 ₹439

332.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.74 ₹261

33.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.06 ₹196

56.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.56 ₹53.0

203.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.66 ₹63.2

262.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.43 ₹40.76

383.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.42 ₹40.26

278.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.44 ₹41.56

236.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.24 ₹22.85

329.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.27 ₹25.65

92.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.38 ₹226

78.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$4.65 ₹442

304.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.96 ₹91.0

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.38 ₹226

15.97%

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

$4.05 ₹385

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.24 ₹22.92

466.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$2.97 ₹282

282.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.19 ₹113

163.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.22 ₹20.80

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$1.69 ₹161

714.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.22 ₹116

9.84%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$11.8K ₹1.1M

134.97%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.2K ₹1.9M

68.04%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$23.37 ₹2,222

428.84%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$3.72 ₹354

263.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$6.30 ₹599

196.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$3.46 ₹329

1686.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$7.08 ₹673

143.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$1.76 ₹167

419.32%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$58.2 ₹5,532

1107.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,511 ₹143.7K

950.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$17.77 ₹1,690

234.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$17.60 ₹1,674

99.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$17.62 ₹1,676

554.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$27.65 ₹2,630

203.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$123 ₹11.7K

404.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$69.4 ₹6,604

522.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$277 ₹26.4K

643.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$179 ₹17.0K

742.96%

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

$665 ₹63.2K

-23.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bhilai: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $123 in Bhilai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhilai pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $8.00 in Bhilai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $87.0 per month, with Bhilai 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 Bhilai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Bhilai differ by about 310% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $308 including rent). Bhilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bhilai earns 31% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $123 in Bhilai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $58.2 in Bhilai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 237% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $308 in Bhilai versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bhilai but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bhilai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bhilai 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 Bhilai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 310% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.