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 $330 in Bhilai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $552 in Bhilai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $774 in Bhilai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 274% more expensive than in Bhilai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Bhilai 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$2.68 ₹257

64.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$8.79 ₹844

267.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$3.07 ₹294

190.88%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.95 ₹187

48.72%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.31 ₹30.11

183.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.17 ₹16.64

182.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.53 ₹147

53.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.80 ₹269

32.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.51 ₹49.11

266.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.38 ₹36.65

286.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.63 ₹60.4

146.03%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$0.98 ₹93.6

114.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$4.22 ₹405

364.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.84 ₹272

20.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.38 ₹228

25.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.57 ₹55.1

194.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.86 ₹82.7

156.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.46 ₹44.58

369.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.38 ₹36.88

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.48 ₹45.75

179.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.25 ₹23.86

352.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.31 ₹30.09

77.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.97 ₹477

-14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$4.60 ₹441

315.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.73 ₹166

2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.75 ₹264

1.09%

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

$3.70 ₹355

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.38 ₹36.91

486.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$6.36 ₹610

257.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.05 ₹101

188.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.20 ₹19.15

410.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.87 ₹179

108.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.06 ₹101

40.57%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$11.8K ₹1.1M

124.44%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$18.4K ₹1.8M

47.25%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$31.69 ₹3,040

223.35%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$3.08 ₹296

267.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$4.96 ₹476

250.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$6.94 ₹665

650.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$3.06 ₹293

261.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.45 ₹331

122.90%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$81.3 ₹7,799

589.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$1,024 ₹98.2K

1023.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$23.68 ₹2,272

166.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$29.10 ₹2,792

1.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$23.21 ₹2,226

322.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$23.85 ₹2,288

271.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$74.0 ₹7,095

898.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$56.6 ₹5,433

751.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$261 ₹25.0K

707.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$205 ₹19.7K

498.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$648 ₹62.2K

-23.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.5

-25.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Bhilai: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $74.0 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Bhilai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $94.0 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 274% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $330 including rent). Bhilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Bhilai. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $74.0 in Bhilai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $81.3 in Bhilai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 193% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $330 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 274% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.