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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $307 in Bhilai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $501 in Bhilai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $696 in Bhilai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 302% more expensive than Bhilai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.68 ₹254

72.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$7.93 ₹751

490.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$3.22 ₹305

174.53%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$1.80 ₹170

66.67%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$0.30 ₹28.70

146.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$0.18 ₹17.47

105.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$1.52 ₹144

60.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$3.11 ₹294

16.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$0.69 ₹65.0

227.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$0.32 ₹30.67

475.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$0.69 ₹65.4

224.64%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$0.88 ₹83.4

163.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$4.75 ₹450

314.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.71 ₹257

34.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$2.14 ₹202

58.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$0.60 ₹56.9

173.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$0.62 ₹58.5

288.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$0.40 ₹37.53

407.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$0.43 ₹40.31

262.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$0.46 ₹43.84

226.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$0.24 ₹22.73

325.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$0.27 ₹25.49

81.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.27 ₹215

96.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$4.75 ₹450

297.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$1.01 ₹95.7

76.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$2.39 ₹226

15.06%

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

$4.12 ₹390

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

$0.22 ₹20.78

536.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

$2.88 ₹273

298.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$1.13 ₹107

176.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$0.24 ₹22.83

316.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$1.70 ₹161

728.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$1.16 ₹110

16.38%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$11.8K ₹1.1M

129.93%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.8K ₹1.9M

65.99%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$23.49 ₹2,223

432.06%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$3.87 ₹366

250.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$6.08 ₹575

204.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

$3.59 ₹340

1612.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$6.82 ₹646

146.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$1.69 ₹160

443.79%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$57.6 ₹5,450

1112.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$1,520 ₹143.8K

925.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$17.33 ₹1,640

233.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$17.62 ₹1,667

100.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$17.15 ₹1,622

559.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$28.00 ₹2,650

208.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$125 ₹11.9K

391.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$68.7 ₹6,504

548.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$270 ₹25.6K

657.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$178 ₹16.8K

737.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

$657 ₹62.2K

-20.33%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bhilai: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $125 in Bhilai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhilai pays 26% 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 $292 vs $89.0 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 302% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $307 including rent). Bhilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bhilai earns 26% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $125 in Bhilai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $57.6 in Bhilai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 229% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $307 in Bhilai versus $1,232 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 302% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.