Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dharwad Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dharwad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $384 in Dharwad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $611 in Dharwad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $837 in Dharwad.

Living in Phuket is roughly 220% more expensive than Dharwad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Dharwad 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.30 ₹218

101.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$10.66 ₹1,012

339.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$3.79 ₹360

133.25%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.54 ₹146

94.81%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.41 ₹38.48

80.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.16 ₹15.01

131.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.75 ₹167

39.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.08 ₹292

17.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.70 ₹66.4

222.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.45 ₹42.70

308.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.68 ₹64.3

229.41%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$0.95 ₹90.7

144.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.92 ₹467

299.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.94 ₹279

24.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.05 ₹195

65.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.68 ₹64.1

141.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.97 ₹92.2

148.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.51 ₹48.10

298.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.39 ₹36.88

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.41 ₹38.94

265.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.45 ₹42.57

126.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.35 ₹32.78

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.85 ₹365

15.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.73 ₹734

144.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.75 ₹166

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.90 ₹276

-5.17%

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

$5.20 ₹493

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.28 ₹26.26

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$8.77 ₹833

30.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.80 ₹75.8

290.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.26 ₹24.92

284.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$1.48 ₹141

852.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.21 ₹115

11.57%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$14.1K ₹1.3M

92.21%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.5K ₹2.0M

52.89%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$39.70 ₹3,769

214.81%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.54 ₹336

283.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$7.60 ₹721

143.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$16.03 ₹1,522

283.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$7.11 ₹675

136.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$2.86 ₹272

221.33%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$50.9 ₹4,832

1271.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,557 ₹147.8K

901.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$23.94 ₹2,273

141.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$25.54 ₹2,425

37.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$43.22 ₹4,104

161.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$32.15 ₹3,052

168.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$125 ₹11.9K

392.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$76.4 ₹7,252

483.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$271 ₹25.7K

655.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$180 ₹17.1K

728.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$976 ₹92.7K

287.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$573 ₹54.4K

361.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.67

-38.52%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Dharwad: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $125 in Dharwad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Dharwad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $106 per month, with Dharwad cheaper across the board.

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 Dharwad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Dharwad differ by about 220% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $384 including rent). Dharwad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $577 in Dharwad to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $125 in Dharwad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $384 in Dharwad – a 220% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dharwad runs roughly 31% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $384 in Dharwad versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dharwad but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Dharwad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Dharwad are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dharwad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 220% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.