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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $375 in Howrah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $501 in Howrah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $627 in Howrah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 234% more expensive than in Howrah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Howrah 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.15 ₹203

112.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$9.60 ₹907

239.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$4.26 ₹402

108.92%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.39 ₹131

101.44%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.47 ₹44.50

87.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.12 ₹11.79

308.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.56 ₹148

53.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.17 ₹300

17.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$0.64 ₹60.4

179.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.42 ₹39.89

242.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.70 ₹65.8

125.71%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.03 ₹97.1

106.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$5.29 ₹500

276.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$2.69 ₹254

27.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$2.10 ₹199

40.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$0.86 ₹81.3

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.50 ₹142

54.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$0.66 ₹62.2

215.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.33 ₹31.46

345.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.44 ₹41.32

209.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.31 ₹28.92

254.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.28 ₹26.61

103.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$5.18 ₹489

-17.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$10.60 ₹1,001

73.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.38 ₹130

35.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.70 ₹255

8.15%

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

$8.64 ₹816

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.18 ₹16.91

1133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.60 ₹56.7

405.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.31 ₹29.08

245.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$1.56 ₹148

151.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.10 ₹104

35.45%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$15.0K ₹1.4M

80.67%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$19.7K ₹1.9M

39.38%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$44.77 ₹4,230

129.62%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$3.55 ₹336

209.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$6.18 ₹584

183.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$14.31 ₹1,352

274.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$3.06 ₹289

144.44%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$26.48 ₹2,502

2003.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$1,283 ₹121.2K

823.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$25.03 ₹2,365

155.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$22.79 ₹2,153

27.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$31.23 ₹2,951

207.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$26.66 ₹2,519

238.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$115 ₹10.8K

535.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$77.3 ₹7,301

546.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$360 ₹34.0K

39.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.27

-39.91%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Howrah: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $115 in Howrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 40% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $10.00 in Howrah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $112 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 234% 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.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Phuket, 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: $730 in Phuket versus $115 in Howrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $26.48 in Howrah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Howrah – a meal for two runs $10.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $375 in Howrah versus $1,253 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 $375 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 234% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.