Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chandigarh Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chandigarh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $486 in Chandigarh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $764 in Chandigarh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,042 in Chandigarh.

Living in Phuket is roughly 153% more expensive than in Chandigarh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Chandigarh 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.05 ₹293

44.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$13.40 ₹1,286

140.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.28 ₹410

108.64%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.63 ₹252

10.27%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.43 ₹41.66

104.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.23 ₹21.90

108.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.12 ₹203

10.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.11 ₹298

19.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.72 ₹68.7

159.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.54 ₹52.1

172.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.84 ₹80.2

84.52%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$0.94 ₹90.4

123.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$5.08 ₹488

285.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.87 ₹275

19.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.84 ₹177

61.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.76 ₹73.2

121.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.08 ₹103

104.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.63 ₹60.6

242.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.32 ₹31.11

375.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.35 ₹33.41

282.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.69 ₹66.5

63.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.30 ₹28.51

83.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.95 ₹475

-13.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$11.58 ₹1,111

64.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.73 ₹166

2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.64 ₹253

5.30%

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

$6.77 ₹649

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.30 ₹28.55

643.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$3.63 ₹348

526.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.07 ₹103

183.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.24 ₹23.03

325.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.59 ₹153

144.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.07 ₹103

39.25%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$12.7K ₹1.2M

109.34%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$25.3K ₹2.4M

6.76%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$44.94 ₹4,311

128.02%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$4.80 ₹460

136.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$7.01 ₹672

148.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$21.31 ₹2,044

144.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$7.99 ₹766

38.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.09 ₹296

148.87%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$58.7 ₹5,634

854.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$2,483 ₹238.2K

363.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$26.60 ₹2,552

136.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$25.15 ₹2,413

17.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$57.8 ₹5,546

69.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$43.90 ₹4,212

101.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$170 ₹16.3K

334.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$117 ₹11.2K

313.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$456 ₹43.7K

362.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$283 ₹27.2K

333.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,951 ₹283.1K

22.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,768 ₹169.6K

47.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$438 ₹42.0K

12.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-30.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Chandigarh: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $170 in Chandigarh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 13% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Chandigarh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $116 per month, with Chandigarh 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 Chandigarh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chandigarh wins on cost – living expenses run 153% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chandigarh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $170 in Chandigarh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chandigarh runs roughly 526% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $58.7 in Chandigarh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $486 in Chandigarh versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chandigarh but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Chandigarh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chandigarh delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $486 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chandigarh hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Chandigarh 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 Chandigarh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 153% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.