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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $306 in Cherthala, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $505 in Cherthala, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $703 in Cherthala, rent included.

Phuket costs about 303% more than Cherthala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Cherthala are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Cherthala 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$0.85 ₹80.3

444.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$10.04 ₹953

366.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$2.63 ₹250

236.12%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.19 ₹113

152.10%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.41 ₹38.46

80.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.14 ₹13.10

164.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.60 ₹152

52.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.75 ₹261

31.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.59 ₹55.9

283.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.42 ₹39.98

338.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.55 ₹52.5

307.27%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$0.82 ₹78.2

182.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$5.24 ₹498

275.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.65 ₹251

37.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.60 ₹247

30.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.59 ₹56.0

177.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.58 ₹150

52.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.45 ₹42.61

351.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.47 ₹44.38

231.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.45 ₹42.49

233.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.42 ₹40.02

142.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.32 ₹30.84

53.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.04 ₹194

118.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$1.90 ₹180

893.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.13 ₹107

57.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.71 ₹163

60.82%

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

$4.57 ₹434

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.30 ₹28.76

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$8.62 ₹819

33.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.18 ₹112

164.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.30 ₹28.36

233.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$1.59 ₹151

786.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.19 ₹113

13.45%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$11.8K ₹1.1M

129.78%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.3K ₹1.5M

102.29%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$23.14 ₹2,197

440.10%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.36 ₹319

303.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$4.80 ₹456

285.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$11.67 ₹1,108

426.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$7.10 ₹674

137.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$1.69 ₹161

443.79%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$57.2 ₹5,434

1120.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,556 ₹147.7K

902.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$8.01 ₹761

621.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$9.21 ₹875

282.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$38.52 ₹3,658

193.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$15.42 ₹1,464

460.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$124 ₹11.8K

395.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$76.5 ₹7,258

483.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$277 ₹26.3K

640.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$181 ₹17.2K

725.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$961 ₹91.3K

293.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$519 ₹49.3K

410.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$236 ₹22.4K

121.83%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cherthala: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $124 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 122% 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $10.00 in Cherthala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $90.0 – 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 303% 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 $1,847 per month in Phuket and $459 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 $47.00 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 $1,232 in Phuket and $306 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 $306, than in Phuket at $1,232. 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 $306 versus $1,232 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.