Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chengalpattu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chengalpattu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,253 per month in Phuket vs $345 in Chengalpattu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,043 per month in Phuket vs $536 in Chengalpattu, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,833 per month in Phuket vs $726 in Chengalpattu, rent included.

Phuket costs about 263% more than Chengalpattu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Chengalpattu are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 9% lower, Chengalpattu 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$1.06 ₹100

330.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$9.17 ₹867

255.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$3.00 ₹283

196.67%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.61 ₹152

73.91%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.45 ₹42.46

95.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.20 ₹18.86

145.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.86 ₹176

28.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.15 ₹297

17.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$0.64 ₹60.9

179.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.44 ₹41.70

227.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.57 ₹53.9

177.19%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$0.97 ₹91.4

119.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$4.51 ₹426

341.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$2.82 ₹267

21.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$1.86 ₹176

58.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$0.70 ₹66.1

145.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$0.91 ₹86.0

154.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$0.51 ₹47.75

307.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.36 ₹33.66

308.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.41 ₹38.34

231.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.45 ₹42.45

144.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.29 ₹27.26

96.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$5.16 ₹488

-17.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$4.34 ₹410

324.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$2.04 ₹192

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$3.20 ₹303

-8.75%

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

$3.36 ₹318

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.25 ₹23.35

788.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$7.43 ₹702

208.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.76 ₹72.0

298.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.25 ₹23.40

328.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$1.60 ₹152

145.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.14 ₹108

30.70%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$12.4K ₹1.2M

118.19%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$19.7K ₹1.9M

39.69%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$35.64 ₹3,368

188.44%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$3.42 ₹323

221.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$6.50 ₹615

169.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$15.09 ₹1,426

254.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$4.72 ₹446

137.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$2.97 ₹280

151.85%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$48.53 ₹4,586

1047.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$1,434 ₹135.5K

726.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$22.01 ₹2,080

191.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$23.37 ₹2,208

24.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$38.14 ₹3,604

151.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$27.64 ₹2,611

226.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$98.7 ₹9,329

639.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$64.2 ₹6,069

678.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$190 ₹18.0K

998.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$136 ₹12.9K

788.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$730 ₹69.0K

392.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$457 ₹43.2K

449.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$589 ₹55.6K

-14.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.75

-36.34%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chengalpattu: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $730 in Phuket versus $98.7 in Chengalpattu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 17% higher in Chengalpattu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Phuket versus $9.00 in Chengalpattu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $97.0 – making Chengalpattu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chengalpattu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 263%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,880 per month in Phuket and $517 in Chengalpattu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengalpattu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 208% less in Chengalpattu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $557 per month in Phuket and $48.53 in Chengalpattu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chengalpattu, where all-in costs run around $345, than in Phuket at $1,253. In Chengalpattu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chengalpattu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chengalpattu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.