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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $307 in Bhilai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $506 in Bhilai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $706 in Bhilai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 312% more expensive than in Bhilai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Bhilai 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.55 ₹243

75.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$8.06 ₹769

465.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.16 ₹301

177.22%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.78 ₹169

66.85%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.30 ₹28.70

130.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.20 ₹18.63

95.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.55 ₹148

63.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.25 ₹310

15.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.64 ₹61.0

235.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.32 ₹30.56

468.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.70 ₹66.4

211.43%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$0.92 ₹88.0

144.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$4.71 ₹450

324.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.70 ₹258

34.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.04 ₹194

58.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.59 ₹56.4

177.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.62 ₹59.4

275.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.42 ₹40.39

392.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.40 ₹37.77

287.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.47 ₹44.36

210.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.24 ₹23.00

308.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.27 ₹25.74

77.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.37 ₹226

83.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$4.81 ₹459

286.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.03 ₹97.8

80.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.28 ₹217

16.23%

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

$4.14 ₹394

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.24 ₹23.03

491.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$2.95 ₹281

292.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.14 ₹108

178.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.24 ₹22.98

329.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.72 ₹164

707.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.16 ₹110

15.52%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$11.8K ₹1.1M

136.16%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.0K ₹1.9M

66.99%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$23.12 ₹2,205

432.22%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$3.80 ₹362

262.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$6.18 ₹589

196.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$3.47 ₹331

1648.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$6.94 ₹662

147.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$1.76 ₹168

403.98%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$56.9 ₹5,423

1109.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$1,491 ₹142.2K

958.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$17.66 ₹1,684

235.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$17.43 ₹1,662

99.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$17.67 ₹1,686

551.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$28.24 ₹2,693

196.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$122 ₹11.6K

409.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$69.5 ₹6,630

541.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$272 ₹25.9K

648.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$178 ₹16.9K

742.74%

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

$670 ₹63.9K

-26.33%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bhilai: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $122 in Bhilai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhilai pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $8.00 in Bhilai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $88.0 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 312% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $307 including rent). Bhilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 36% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $122 in Bhilai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $56.9 in Bhilai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 232% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $307 in Bhilai versus $1,264 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 312% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.