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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $342 in Budaun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $535 in Budaun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $728 in Budaun.

Living in Phuket is roughly 260% more expensive than Budaun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Budaun 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.05 ₹195

125.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$11.62 ₹1,103

303.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$2.94 ₹280

200.68%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$0.56 ₹53.3

435.71%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.27 ₹25.29

174.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.14 ₹12.95

164.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.52 ₹145

60.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.72 ₹164

109.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.73 ₹69.4

209.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.37 ₹34.71

397.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.59 ₹56.1

279.66%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$0.67 ₹63.5

246.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.19 ₹398

369.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.28 ₹217

60.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.15 ₹109

194.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.49 ₹46.31

234.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.60 ₹56.6

301.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.45 ₹42.63

351.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.26 ₹24.73

500.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.34 ₹32.16

341.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.13 ₹12.63

684.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.32 ₹30.16

53.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.53 ₹241

75.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$2.70 ₹257

599.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.39 ₹132

28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.38 ₹226

15.55%

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

$3.56 ₹338

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.30 ₹28.74

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$8.53 ₹810

34.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.60 ₹56.8

420.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.10 ₹9.89

900.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$1.14 ₹108

1135.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.17 ₹111

15.38%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$5,820 ₹552.5K

367.11%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.9K ₹1.6M

94.78%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$50.2 ₹4,763

149.11%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.27 ₹311

314.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$5.42 ₹515

241.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$16.21 ₹1,539

279.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$7.22 ₹685

133.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$2.94 ₹279

212.59%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$35.62 ₹3,382

1860.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,552 ₹147.3K

904.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$23.69 ₹2,249

143.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$30.95 ₹2,939

13.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$39.12 ₹3,714

189.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$18.31 ₹1,738

371.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$125 ₹11.9K

392.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$77.1 ₹7,323

478.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$272 ₹25.8K

652.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$182 ₹17.2K

722.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$917 ₹87.0K

312.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$481 ₹45.7K

450.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.49

-37.22%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Budaun: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Budaun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $76.0 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 260% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $513 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: $616 in Phuket versus $125 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 35% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $35.62 in Budaun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $342 in Budaun versus $1,232 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 260% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.