Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cherthala

For one person, living is cheaper in Cherthala: $287 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
14

Cost of Living Index in Cherthala
Learn more

Cherthala Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Cherthala

🇮🇳 India

$287

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Cherthala

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 Cherthala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $287 in Cherthala, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Cherthala $287

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $462 in Cherthala, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Cherthala $462

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $637 in Cherthala, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Cherthala $637

Phuket costs about 321% more than Cherthala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Cherthala are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Cherthala 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$0.81 ₹76.5

465.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$6.24 ₹592

420.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$2.37 ₹225

260.76%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$1.02 ₹96.9

166.67%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.30 ₹28.13

213.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.13 ₹12.45

276.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$1.43 ₹136

81.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$1.79 ₹170

113.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.57 ₹53.7

205.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.36 ₹34.11

297.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$0.53 ₹50.3

188.68%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$0.85 ₹80.7

155.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$3.73 ₹355

413.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$2.40 ₹228

37.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$2.12 ₹202

39.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.54 ₹51.6

211.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$0.95 ₹89.8

142.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$0.50 ₹47.71

326.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.38 ₹35.77

302.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.40 ₹38.19

240.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.43 ₹41.02

160.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.25 ₹23.64

120.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.84 ₹175

131.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$1.85 ₹175

883.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.02 ₹96.8

70.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.54 ₹146

81.17%

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

$3.40 ₹323

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.19 ₹18.27

1068.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$7.39 ₹702

198.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$0.82 ₹78.0

254.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.45 ₹42.73

124.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$1.55 ₹147

147.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.10 ₹105

35.45%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$13.0K ₹1.2M

105.50%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$19.8K ₹1.9M

34.68%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$21.20 ₹2,013

368.73%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$2.96 ₹281

281.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$4.13 ₹392

320.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$10.55 ₹1,002

395.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$5.88 ₹559

84.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$1.56 ₹148

385.26%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$45.78 ₹4,347

1119.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$508 ₹48.2K

2162.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$7.30 ₹693

761.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$8.41 ₹798

239.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$72.3 ₹6,864

32.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$14.26 ₹1,354

517.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$123 ₹11.7K

493.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$72.6 ₹6,889

533.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$261 ₹24.8K

702.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$170 ₹16.2K

618.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$962 ₹91.4K

259.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$513 ₹48.7K

384.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$236 ₹22.4K

109.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.37

-40.55%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cherthala: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Cherthala

$73 25.3% 84.2% $387

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Cherthala

$77 26.7% 71.4% $191

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Cherthala

$28 9.9% 77.9% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Cherthala

$46 16.1% 62.9% $78

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Cherthala

$38 13.3% 68.5% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Cherthala

$14 4.8% 79.7% $54

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Cherthala

$11 3.9% 71.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $123 in Cherthala. 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 109% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $6.00 in Cherthala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $77.0 – making Cherthala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇳 Cherthala

🕒 Local time

00:20 12:20 AM

22:50 10:50 PM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

45,827

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Cherthala 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Cherthala

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 Cherthala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 321% more than Cherthala, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $430 in Cherthala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $6.00 in Cherthala. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $287 in Cherthala. That's a gap of about 321%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cherthala, where all-in costs run around $287, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Cherthala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cherthala costs $287 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Cherthala. 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.