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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $385 in Dharwad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $612 in Dharwad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $839 in Dharwad.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Dharwad 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.34 ₹223

94.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$10.28 ₹978

353.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.68 ₹350

130.16%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.55 ₹147

95.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.38 ₹35.69

81.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.16 ₹15.23

131.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.72 ₹163

44.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.14 ₹299

16.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.70 ₹66.6

211.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.48 ₹45.90

295.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.71 ₹68.0

209.86%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$0.96 ₹91.7

131.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$5.10 ₹485

291.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.03 ₹288

20.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.00 ₹190

61.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.73 ₹69.7

132.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.92 ₹87.5

159.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.50 ₹47.55

316.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.35 ₹33.47

354.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.42 ₹39.78

252.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.48 ₹45.89

114.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.32 ₹30.39

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.00 ₹381

6.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$6.43 ₹611

192.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.77 ₹168

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.78 ₹265

-0.72%

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

$5.28 ₹503

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.30 ₹28.68

353.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$8.51 ₹809

33.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.79 ₹74.9

297.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.26 ₹24.81

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$1.47 ₹140

836.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.22 ₹116

9.84%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$14.2K ₹1.4M

94.51%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$21.4K ₹2.0M

58.17%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$39.36 ₹3,744

214.00%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$3.43 ₹326

294.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$7.52 ₹715

148.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$15.93 ₹1,515

288.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$6.82 ₹648

152.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$2.92 ₹278

213.01%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$50.9 ₹4,838

1280.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,533 ₹145.7K

935.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$24.32 ₹2,313

144.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$25.08 ₹2,385

39.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$43.33 ₹4,120

166.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$31.60 ₹3,005

165.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$125 ₹11.9K

394.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$74.7 ₹7,105

479.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$276 ₹26.3K

646.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$180 ₹17.1K

740.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$840 ₹79.8K

334.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$499 ₹47.5K

426.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Dharwad: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $125 in Dharwad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $10.00 in Dharwad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $105 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 ($1,261 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 $1,892 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: $619 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 $1,261 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 33% 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 $1,261 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.