Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Budaun

For one person, living is cheaper in Budaun: $363 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Budaun
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Budaun Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Budaun

🇮🇳 India

$363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Budaun

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Budaun actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $363 in Budaun.

Phuket $1,278
Budaun $363

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $608 in Budaun.

Phuket $2,216
Budaun $608

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $852 in Budaun.

Phuket $3,154
Budaun $852

Living in Phuket is roughly 252% more expensive than in Budaun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Budaun 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.65 ₹348

22.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$21.04 ₹2,004

54.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$2.60 ₹248

238.85%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$0.51 ₹48.86

454.90%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.38 ₹36.51

128.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.19 ₹18.36

157.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$1.92 ₹183

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.59 ₹152

131.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.64 ₹61.0

159.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.31 ₹29.05

370.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.50 ₹47.95

200.00%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$0.66 ₹62.5

216.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$4.32 ₹411

341.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.13 ₹202

54.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$1.07 ₹102

173.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$0.40 ₹38.51

322.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.54 ₹51.8

316.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.41 ₹38.70

407.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.31 ₹29.53

387.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.33 ₹31.62

318.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.11 ₹10.40

872.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.29 ₹27.40

79.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.35 ₹224

78.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$2.70 ₹257

595.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.25 ₹119

45.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.14 ₹204

32.71%

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

$3.24 ₹309

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.25 ₹23.55

480.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$7.00 ₹666

709.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.06 ₹101

184.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.13 ₹12.00

684.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$1.55 ₹148

138.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.03 ₹98.5

42.72%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$5,357 ₹510.1K

399.85%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$19.5K ₹1.9M

37.22%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$43.01 ₹4,095

124.02%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$4.25 ₹405

164.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$6.61 ₹630

154.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$13.11 ₹1,248

412.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$5.92 ₹564

81.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.19 ₹494

44.51%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$99.5 ₹9,471

378.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$2,332 ₹222.1K

382.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$24.80 ₹2,361

151.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$29.12 ₹2,772

-2.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$54.5 ₹5,186

73.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$44.83 ₹4,268

91.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$121 ₹11.5K

492.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$77.9 ₹7,416

530.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$267 ₹25.5K

620.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$190 ₹18.1K

652.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$966 ₹92.0K

332.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$585 ₹55.7K

420.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.35

-33.29%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Budaun: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Budaun

$78 21.5% 84.1% $413

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Budaun

$71 19.6% 73.3% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Budaun

$54 14.8% 56.7% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Budaun

$69 19% 43.4% $53

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Budaun

$58 16% 52.1% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Budaun

$23 6.5% 71.4% $59

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Budaun

$9.7 2.7% 86.3% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $121 in Budaun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $21 in Budaun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $71 per month, with Budaun cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇳 Budaun

🕒 Local time

02:58 2:58 AM

01:28 1:28 AM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

159,300

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.22 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Budaun 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Budaun

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 72% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $545 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: $716 in Phuket versus $121 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 88% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $99 in Budaun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $363 in Budaun versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

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.

Expats usually find Budaun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.