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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $341 in Budaun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $545 in Budaun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $748 in Budaun.

Living in Phuket is roughly 270% more expensive than Budaun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Budaun 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.13 ₹203

114.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$11.49 ₹1,093

305.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$2.92 ₹278

190.07%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$0.55 ₹52.7

450.91%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.27 ₹25.35

155.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.11 ₹10.41

236.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.55 ₹147

60.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.79 ₹170

104.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.68 ₹64.7

220.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.34 ₹32.19

458.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.59 ₹56.3

272.88%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$0.67 ₹63.3

231.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$4.41 ₹419

353.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.34 ₹223

56.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.18 ₹113

173.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.48 ₹45.84

254.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.56 ₹53.5

326.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.49 ₹46.40

324.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.24 ₹22.73

562.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.33 ₹31.70

348.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.11 ₹10.34

836.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.34 ₹32.35

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.50 ₹238

70.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$2.67 ₹254

603.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.36 ₹129

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.35 ₹224

17.45%

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

$3.39 ₹322

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.30 ₹28.63

353.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$8.50 ₹808

33.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.60 ₹56.7

423.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.10 ₹9.66

940.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$1.18 ₹112

1066.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.19 ₹113

12.61%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$5,710 ₹543.0K

384.75%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$16.4K ₹1.6M

106.08%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$51.1 ₹4,859

141.91%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$3.26 ₹310

314.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$5.65 ₹537

230.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$15.74 ₹1,497

292.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$6.94 ₹660

148.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$2.84 ₹270

221.83%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$36.73 ₹3,493

1813.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,588 ₹151.0K

899.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$23.72 ₹2,256

150.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$30.81 ₹2,930

13.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$39.70 ₹3,776

190.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$18.46 ₹1,756

355.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$122 ₹11.6K

407.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$76.8 ₹7,306

463.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$273 ₹25.9K

656.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$177 ₹16.9K

751.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,054 ₹100.2K

245.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$523 ₹49.7K

402.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Budaun: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $122 in Budaun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Budaun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 270% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $512 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: $619 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 $703 in Phuket versus $36.73 in Budaun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $341 in Budaun versus $1,261 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 270% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.