Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cherthala Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cherthala

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $301 in Cherthala, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $497 in Cherthala, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $693 in Cherthala, rent included.

Phuket costs about 319% more than Cherthala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Cherthala are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Cherthala 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$0.84 ₹80.3

433.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$10.07 ₹961

352.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$2.66 ₹254

229.32%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.14 ₹109

160.53%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.40 ₹38.42

72.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.12 ₹11.72

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.55 ₹148

63.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.78 ₹265

34.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.63 ₹60.5

241.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.42 ₹40.25

333.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.61 ₹58.0

257.38%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$0.81 ₹77.1

177.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$5.36 ₹511

273.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.69 ₹256

34.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.63 ₹250

23.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.59 ₹56.7

177.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.57 ₹149

48.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.48 ₹46.06

331.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.51 ₹48.79

203.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.45 ₹43.20

224.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.40 ₹38.04

145.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.36 ₹33.91

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.13 ₹203

104.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$1.90 ₹181

877.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.17 ₹112

58.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.73 ₹165

53.18%

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

$4.65 ₹443

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.30 ₹28.88

373.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$8.57 ₹817

35.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.19 ₹114

166.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.32 ₹30.91

221.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.65 ₹158

741.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.22 ₹117

9.84%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$11.6K ₹1.1M

140.21%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$16.3K ₹1.5M

105.42%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$22.99 ₹2,192

435.23%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$3.45 ₹329

299.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$4.83 ₹461

279.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$11.59 ₹1,106

423.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$7.22 ₹689

137.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$1.72 ₹164

415.70%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$58.5 ₹5,578

1076.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$1,527 ₹145.6K

933.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$8.02 ₹765

639.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$9.32 ₹889

272.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$38.40 ₹3,662

199.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$15.53 ₹1,481

439.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$126 ₹12.0K

392.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$75.2 ₹7,174

492.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$277 ₹26.4K

634.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$183 ₹17.4K

718.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,007 ₹96.1K

242.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$524 ₹49.9K

383.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$239 ₹22.8K

106.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.36

-43.06%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cherthala: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $126 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 107% 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $10.00 in Cherthala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $93.0 – making Cherthala 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 Cherthala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 319% more than Cherthala, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 per month in Phuket and $452 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 $46.00 in Phuket and $10.00 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 $1,264 in Phuket and $301 in Cherthala. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cherthala, where all-in costs run around $301, than in Phuket at $1,264. 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 $301 versus $1,264 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.