Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Imphal Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Imphal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $410 in Imphal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $628 in Imphal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $845 in Imphal.

Living in Phuket is roughly 200% more expensive than Imphal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Imphal 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.29 ₹217

102.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$8.31 ₹789

463.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.47 ₹615

36.63%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$0.74 ₹70.5

305.41%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.48 ₹45.11

54.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.20 ₹19.32

85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.03 ₹193

20.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.86 ₹462

-25.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.79 ₹75.4

186.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.91 ₹86.5

102.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.50 ₹47.74

348.00%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.43 ₹136

62.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$5.15 ₹488

281.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.28 ₹311

11.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.99 ₹189

70.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.69 ₹65.4

137.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.95 ₹89.9

153.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.54 ₹51.0

275.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.43 ₹40.66

262.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.54 ₹51.4

177.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.45 ₹43.01

126.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.39 ₹37.31

25.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.96 ₹376

12.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$2.48 ₹235

661.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.07 ₹196

-14.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.28 ₹217

20.61%

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

$5.45 ₹517

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.30 ₹28.82

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$8.61 ₹818

33.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.17 ₹111

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.41 ₹38.93

143.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$1.03 ₹97.5

1267.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.25 ₹119

8.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$13.7K ₹1.3M

98.37%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.4K ₹2.0M

53.54%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$74.8 ₹7,103

67.06%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.57 ₹339

280.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$4.05 ₹385

357.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$14.56 ₹1,382

322.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$4.09 ₹389

311.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$2.84 ₹270

223.59%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$52.1 ₹4,942

1241.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,529 ₹145.2K

919.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$17.53 ₹1,664

229.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$29.54 ₹2,805

19.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$32.39 ₹3,076

249.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$34.36 ₹3,262

151.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$125 ₹11.9K

391.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$74.9 ₹7,109

495.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$292 ₹27.7K

601.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$183 ₹17.4K

713.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$958 ₹90.9K

294.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$517 ₹49.1K

411.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$189 ₹17.9K

177.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

14.35

-62.86%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Imphal: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Phuket pays 178% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $8.00 in Imphal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $106 per month, with Imphal 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 Imphal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Imphal differ by about 200% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $410 including rent). Imphal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 178% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $125 in Imphal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 176% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imphal – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $410 in Imphal versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Imphal but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Imphal 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 Imphal 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 Imphal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.