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 $304 in Darbhanga, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,089 per month in Phuket vs $499 in Darbhanga, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Phuket vs $694 in Darbhanga, rent included.

Phuket costs about 316% more than Darbhanga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Darbhanga are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Darbhanga 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$1.59 ₹152

193.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$9.71 ₹928

231.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$3.07 ₹293

182.74%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.28 ₹123

126.56%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.22 ₹21.05

281.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.11 ₹10.67

345.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.69 ₹162

46.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.79 ₹362

-1.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.64 ₹61.2

195.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.40 ₹38.32

252.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.42 ₹40.48

285.71%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$0.83 ₹79.7

169.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$2.71 ₹259

632.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$1.88 ₹179

85.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.36 ₹130

113.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.73 ₹69.4

135.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.04 ₹99.7

118.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.41 ₹39.56

419.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.35 ₹33.63

320.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.46 ₹43.84

208.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.47 ₹44.43

134.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.27 ₹26.00

122.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$5.10 ₹488

-15.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$3.93 ₹376

373.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.56 ₹149

15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$0.92 ₹87.9

222.83%

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

$1.71 ₹164

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.27 ₹25.83

733.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$7.07 ₹676

232.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.29 ₹123

140.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.16 ₹15.03

575.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$2.07 ₹198

86.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.08 ₹103

32.41%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$13.7K ₹1.3M

102.16%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$27.0K ₹2.6M

0.02%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$16.01 ₹1,529

554.59%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$2.87 ₹274

296.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$6.51 ₹622

169.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$9.42 ₹900

476.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$6.37 ₹609

79.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$2.94 ₹281

164.63%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$26.09 ₹2,493

2109.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$1,250 ₹119.4K

826.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$15.47 ₹1,478

311.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$29.40 ₹2,809

-1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$37.96 ₹3,626

153.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$26.23 ₹2,506

243.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$47.41 ₹4,530

1446.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$73.3 ₹7,002

583.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$267 ₹25.5K

696.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$171 ₹16.3K

633.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$994 ₹95.0K

255.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$516 ₹49.3K

407.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$161 ₹15.4K

215.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.46

-41.12%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Darbhanga: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $733 in Phuket versus $47.41 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 216% 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 $10.00 in Darbhanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $75.0 – 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 316% 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 $456 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 $576 per month in Phuket and $26.09 in Darbhanga. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 267% 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 $304, 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 $304 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.