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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $338 in Budaun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $534 in Budaun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $730 in Budaun.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Budaun 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.15 ₹205

108.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$11.58 ₹1,108

293.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$2.94 ₹282

197.96%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$0.59 ₹56.5

403.39%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.27 ₹25.72

155.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.11 ₹10.98

254.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.47 ₹141

72.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.70 ₹162

120.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$0.67 ₹64.2

220.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.36 ₹34.54

405.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$0.55 ₹52.9

296.36%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$0.73 ₹69.7

208.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$4.26 ₹407

369.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.34 ₹224

55.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$1.13 ₹108

186.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$0.45 ₹43.23

264.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$0.60 ₹57.5

288.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$0.46 ₹43.63

350.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.26 ₹24.96

496.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.34 ₹32.08

329.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.14 ₹12.97

600.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.34 ₹32.98

41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$2.53 ₹242

71.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$2.68 ₹256

592.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.41 ₹135

31.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.27 ₹217

16.74%

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

$3.51 ₹336

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.30 ₹28.73

373.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$8.64 ₹827

33.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.59 ₹56.5

437.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.12 ₹11.48

758.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$1.14 ₹109

1118.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.14 ₹109

17.54%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$5,730 ₹548.0K

384.99%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$16.9K ₹1.6M

97.96%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$50.1 ₹4,786

145.85%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$3.23 ₹309

326.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$5.49 ₹525

233.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$15.89 ₹1,519

281.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$7.09 ₹678

142.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$2.90 ₹277

205.86%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$36.88 ₹3,527

1765.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$1,584 ₹151.5K

896.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$23.56 ₹2,254

151.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$30.59 ₹2,926

13.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$38.98 ₹3,728

195.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$18.55 ₹1,774

351.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$122 ₹11.7K

407.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$75.0 ₹7,174

494.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$277 ₹26.5K

635.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$179 ₹17.1K

736.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$893 ₹85.4K

287.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$585 ₹55.9K

332.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Budaun: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Budaun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 274% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $507 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: $621 in Phuket versus $122 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 34% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $36.88 in Budaun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $338 in Budaun versus $1,264 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 274% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.