Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Darbhanga Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Darbhanga

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $340 in Darbhanga, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $540 in Darbhanga, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $740 in Darbhanga, rent included.

Phuket costs about 272% more than Darbhanga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Darbhanga are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Darbhanga 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$1.69 ₹162

178.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$9.82 ₹939

362.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.55 ₹339

137.46%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.41 ₹135

107.80%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.36 ₹34.55

91.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.13 ₹12.33

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.25 ₹215

7.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.08 ₹295

20.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.62 ₹58.9

259.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.43 ₹40.77

325.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.43 ₹41.55

404.65%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$0.92 ₹87.8

140.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$2.96 ₹284

566.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.06 ₹197

76.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.39 ₹133

135.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.82 ₹78.6

96.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.10 ₹105

119.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.58 ₹55.6

258.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.35 ₹33.69

337.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.51 ₹49.21

190.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.51 ₹48.97

94.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.28 ₹26.48

82.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.55 ₹244

72.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$3.73 ₹357

419.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.02 ₹193

-11.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.07 ₹103

153.27%

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

$1.90 ₹182

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.30 ₹28.89

356.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$8.83 ₹845

28.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.19 ₹114

153.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.17 ₹16.69

482.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.38 ₹227

492.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.21 ₹116

12.40%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$15.2K ₹1.5M

85.75%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.1K ₹3.2M

-0.69%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$23.67 ₹2,265

414.15%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.23 ₹309

320.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$7.59 ₹726

141.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$10.32 ₹988

483.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$7.04 ₹674

143.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.16 ₹302

175.00%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$28.49 ₹2,726

2333.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$1,401 ₹134.1K

1019.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$17.48 ₹1,672

240.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$28.40 ₹2,718

22.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$42.54 ₹4,070

169.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$28.89 ₹2,765

188.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$52.8 ₹5,050

1062.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$75.7 ₹7,244

477.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$277 ₹26.5K

657.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$180 ₹17.2K

738.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$156 ₹14.9K

226.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.05

-41.10%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Darbhanga: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $52.8 in Darbhanga. 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 226% 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 $45.00 in Phuket versus $10.00 in Darbhanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $81.0 – making Darbhanga 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 Darbhanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 272% more than Darbhanga, 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 $1,898 per month in Phuket and $510 in Darbhanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $693 per month in Phuket and $28.49 in Darbhanga. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 260% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Darbhanga, where all-in costs run around $340, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Darbhanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Darbhanga costs $340 versus $1,265 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 Darbhanga. 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.