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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $450 in Chandigarh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $731 in Chandigarh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,012 in Chandigarh.

Living in Phuket is roughly 178% more expensive than in Chandigarh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Chandigarh 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.12 ₹300

45.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$14.08 ₹1,355

227.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$3.53 ₹340

150.42%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.98 ₹191

54.55%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.40 ₹38.41

82.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.20 ₹19.21

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.78 ₹171

36.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.88 ₹278

31.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.77 ₹74.2

193.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.57 ₹54.9

217.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.82 ₹79.1

174.39%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.09 ₹105

106.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$5.49 ₹528

255.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$2.91 ₹281

25.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.05 ₹198

57.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.75 ₹72.3

116.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$0.99 ₹95.7

140.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$0.56 ₹54.4

262.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.39 ₹37.80

292.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.45 ₹43.76

233.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.46 ₹43.95

113.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.31 ₹30.32

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.14 ₹398

7.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$11.70 ₹1,126

56.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.66 ₹160

12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.85 ₹275

-5.96%

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

$5.06 ₹487

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.28 ₹26.69

403.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$8.68 ₹835

34.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.79 ₹75.7

293.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.24 ₹23.11

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$1.31 ₹126

977.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.21 ₹116

8.26%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$14.8K ₹1.4M

88.15%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$28.9K ₹2.8M

15.09%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$47.68 ₹4,590

156.80%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$3.34 ₹321

306.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$7.17 ₹690

160.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$19.79 ₹1,905

205.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$10.31 ₹992

64.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$2.84 ₹273

219.37%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$61.9 ₹5,956

1041.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$1,966 ₹189.3K

703.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$24.88 ₹2,395

135.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$24.03 ₹2,313

47.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$48.63 ₹4,681

137.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$32.59 ₹3,138

156.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$170 ₹16.4K

267.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$104 ₹10.1K

326.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$411 ₹39.5K

396.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$267 ₹25.7K

458.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$3,017 ₹290.5K

15.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,782 ₹171.5K

44.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$471 ₹45.3K

6.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.3

-35.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chandigarh: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $170 in Chandigarh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 6% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Chandigarh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $119 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 178% 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 6% 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: $626 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 35% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $61.9 in Chandigarh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $450 in Chandigarh versus $1,250 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 $450 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 178% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.