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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $385 in Dharwad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $609 in Dharwad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $832 in Dharwad.

Living in Phuket is roughly 228% more expensive than in Dharwad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Dharwad 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.39 ₹228

87.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$10.60 ₹1,011

330.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.80 ₹363

130.53%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.52 ₹145

95.39%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.40 ₹38.25

72.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.16 ₹15.13

143.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.70 ₹162

48.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.11 ₹297

20.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.70 ₹67.2

207.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.49 ₹46.48

271.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.66 ₹63.0

230.30%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$0.89 ₹84.7

152.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$5.10 ₹486

292.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.03 ₹289

19.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.06 ₹197

57.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.71 ₹68.2

130.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.99 ₹94.3

135.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.55 ₹52.0

276.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.38 ₹36.64

307.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.41 ₹39.40

256.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.45 ₹42.96

117.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.32 ₹30.36

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.97 ₹379

9.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$7.21 ₹688

157.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.77 ₹169

5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.81 ₹268

-5.69%

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

$5.01 ₹478

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.28 ₹26.44

407.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$8.47 ₹808

36.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.78 ₹74.0

306.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.26 ₹24.84

296.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.46 ₹139

851.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.16 ₹111

15.52%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$13.7K ₹1.3M

102.90%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$21.5K ₹2.0M

55.36%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$38.89 ₹3,709

216.41%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$3.41 ₹325

303.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$7.56 ₹721

142.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$15.72 ₹1,499

286.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$7.01 ₹668

144.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$2.83 ₹270

213.43%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$51.3 ₹4,896

1239.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$1,568 ₹149.5K

906.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$24.02 ₹2,291

146.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$25.36 ₹2,419

36.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$42.79 ₹4,081

169.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$32.20 ₹3,071

160.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$123 ₹11.7K

407.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$74.9 ₹7,142

495.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$274 ₹26.1K

642.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$180 ₹17.1K

732.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$862 ₹82.2K

300.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$480 ₹45.8K

426.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Dharwad: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $123 in Dharwad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Dharwad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 228% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $385 including rent). Dharwad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $578 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: $621 in Phuket versus $123 in Dharwad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $385 in Dharwad – a 228% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dharwad runs roughly 37% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $385 in Dharwad versus $1,264 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 228% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.