Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Howrah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Howrah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $368 in Howrah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $586 in Howrah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $803 in Howrah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 243% more expensive than Howrah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Howrah 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$1.70 ₹163

176.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$11.60 ₹1,110

291.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.31 ₹412

95.59%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.41 ₹135

107.80%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.25 ₹23.66

176.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.13 ₹12.32

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.19 ₹114

102.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.94 ₹282

26.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.65 ₹62.3

243.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.39 ₹37.42

369.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.63 ₹60.4

244.44%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$0.97 ₹93.1

127.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$5.55 ₹531

255.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.97 ₹284

22.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$0.94 ₹90.4

248.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.79 ₹75.8

103.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.60 ₹57.1

301.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.62 ₹59.2

235.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.36 ₹34.80

325.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.45 ₹43.40

228.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.14 ₹13.10

607.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.16 ₹14.94

218.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.18 ₹209

102.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.58 ₹821

125.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.27 ₹121

40.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.10 ₹201

29.05%

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

$7.54 ₹721

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.16 ₹15.75

756.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$8.46 ₹810

34.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.56 ₹53.3

439.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.30 ₹28.62

230.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.08 ₹199

577.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.23 ₹118

10.57%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$15.6K ₹1.5M

80.63%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.6K ₹2.2M

45.41%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$41.94 ₹4,014

190.18%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$2.06 ₹197

558.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$7.28 ₹697

151.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$16.09 ₹1,540

274.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$7.18 ₹687

138.72%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.97 ₹380

118.89%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$43.10 ₹4,125

1508.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$1,601 ₹153.2K

879.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$17.69 ₹1,692

236.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$30.69 ₹2,937

13.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$49.96 ₹4,781

129.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$11.43 ₹1,094

628.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$128 ₹12.2K

380.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$86.1 ₹8,234

407.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$277 ₹26.5K

656.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$180 ₹17.2K

739.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$950 ₹90.9K

294.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$511 ₹48.9K

411.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$358 ₹34.3K

41.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.18

-41.94%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Howrah: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $128 in Howrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 42% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Howrah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $95.0 per month, with Howrah 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 Howrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howrah wins on cost – living expenses run 243% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Howrah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Phuket pays 42% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $128 in Howrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Howrah runs roughly 35% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $43.10 in Howrah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $368 in Howrah versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Howrah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Howrah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Howrah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $368 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Howrah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Howrah 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 Howrah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 243% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.