Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Budaun Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Budaun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $369 in Budaun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $586 in Budaun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $803 in Budaun.

Living in Phuket is roughly 243% more expensive than in Budaun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Budaun 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$4.28 ₹409

8.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$10.61 ₹1,013

203.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$2.69 ₹257

222.68%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$0.54 ₹52.0

437.04%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.36 ₹34.02

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.18 ₹16.90

172.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.94 ₹186

27.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$1.62 ₹155

130.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.61 ₹58.0

209.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.33 ₹31.59

327.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.51 ₹49.13

217.65%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$0.61 ₹58.7

267.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$4.36 ₹416

355.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$2.04 ₹195

70.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.07 ₹102

171.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.40 ₹38.27

330.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$0.52 ₹49.62

336.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.40 ₹38.18

432.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.28 ₹26.32

425.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.30 ₹29.07

373.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.12 ₹11.41

816.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.29 ₹27.49

106.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.34 ₹224

84.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$2.57 ₹245

623.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.23 ₹117

46.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.15 ₹205

38.14%

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

$3.24 ₹309

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.25 ₹23.63

800.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$7.09 ₹678

231.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.01 ₹97.0

206.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.11 ₹10.29

881.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$1.60 ₹152

141.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.02 ₹97.9

40.20%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$5,268 ₹503.3K

427.45%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$19.2K ₹1.8M

40.28%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$42.15 ₹4,027

148.64%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$4.17 ₹399

173.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$6.73 ₹643

160.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$14.19 ₹1,356

282.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$6.63 ₹633

72.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$5.34 ₹510

45.69%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$96.1 ₹9,180

499.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$2,083 ₹199.0K

456.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$25.43 ₹2,429

150.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$29.15 ₹2,785

-0.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$53.5 ₹5,108

79.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$47.05 ₹4,496

91.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$120 ₹11.5K

508.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$75.0 ₹7,169

567.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$267 ₹25.5K

696.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$173 ₹16.5K

623.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$983 ₹93.9K

259.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$504 ₹48.1K

420.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.6

-35.23%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Budaun: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $120 in Budaun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Budaun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $70.0 per month, with Budaun 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 Budaun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budaun is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 243% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $553 in Budaun to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $120 in Budaun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Budaun runs roughly 231% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $96.1 in Budaun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $369 in Budaun versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Budaun but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Budaun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Budaun is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Budaun 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 Budaun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 243% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.