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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $300 in Cherthala, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $502 in Cherthala, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $704 in Cherthala, rent included.

Phuket costs about 321% more than Cherthala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Cherthala are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Cherthala 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$0.90 ₹85.2

406.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$9.82 ₹934

374.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$2.54 ₹242

233.46%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.14 ₹108

165.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.37 ₹35.56

86.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.12 ₹11.56

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.55 ₹147

60.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.66 ₹253

37.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.62 ₹59.1

251.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.39 ₹37.08

387.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.60 ₹56.9

266.67%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$0.82 ₹77.8

170.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$5.16 ₹491

287.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.68 ₹255

36.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.60 ₹247

24.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.56 ₹53.2

203.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.56 ₹149

53.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.48 ₹45.94

333.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.51 ₹48.89

211.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.49 ₹46.28

202.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.40 ₹37.71

157.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.32 ₹30.82

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.08 ₹197

104.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$1.90 ₹181

888.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.13 ₹108

55.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.70 ₹162

62.35%

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

$4.60 ₹437

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.28 ₹26.23

385.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$8.56 ₹814

32.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.19 ₹113

163.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.30 ₹28.16

246.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$1.59 ₹151

766.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.17 ₹112

14.53%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$11.5K ₹1.1M

140.17%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$16.1K ₹1.5M

110.67%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$23.62 ₹2,246

423.24%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$3.49 ₹332

287.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$4.64 ₹441

302.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$11.66 ₹1,109

430.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$7.17 ₹682

140.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$1.72 ₹164

431.40%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$57.0 ₹5,420

1132.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,556 ₹148.0K

919.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$7.93 ₹755

649.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$9.45 ₹899

271.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$37.65 ₹3,581

206.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$15.58 ₹1,482

439.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$123 ₹11.7K

404.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$75.9 ₹7,220

469.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$278 ₹26.4K

641.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$181 ₹17.2K

736.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$961 ₹91.3K

279.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$512 ₹48.7K

413.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$233 ₹22.2K

117.49%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cherthala: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 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 117% 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: $293 vs $91.0 – 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 321% 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 $1,892 per month in Phuket and $450 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 $1,261 in Phuket and $300 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 $300, than in Phuket at $1,261. 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 $300 versus $1,261 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.