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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $432 in Imphal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $660 in Imphal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $887 in Imphal.

Living in Phuket is roughly 183% more expensive than Imphal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Imphal 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$2.29 ₹217

96.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$8.28 ₹783

463.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$6.54 ₹619

29.82%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$0.72 ₹68.5

327.78%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.52 ₹49.33

30.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.20 ₹19.33

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.13 ₹201

14.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$5.07 ₹479

-28.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$0.74 ₹70.4

195.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.92 ₹86.7

96.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$0.51 ₹48.07

337.25%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.37 ₹129

63.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$4.86 ₹460

303.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$3.17 ₹299

17.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.01 ₹190

67.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$0.68 ₹64.1

138.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$0.92 ₹86.7

161.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$0.50 ₹47.35

298.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.42 ₹40.09

264.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$0.49 ₹46.77

195.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.49 ₹46.39

106.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.42 ₹39.93

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.99 ₹377

7.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$6.96 ₹658

174.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$2.05 ₹193

-10.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.30 ₹218

19.13%

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

$5.49 ₹519

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.28 ₹26.09

407.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$8.47 ₹801

38.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.18 ₹112

154.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.41 ₹39.07

156.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$1.01 ₹95.4

1276.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.18 ₹112

9.32%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$13.7K ₹1.3M

104.23%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$21.7K ₹2.1M

54.59%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$73.9 ₹6,989

65.11%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$3.39 ₹320

310.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$4.15 ₹392

354.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$14.27 ₹1,350

329.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$4.05 ₹383

315.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$2.97 ₹281

199.33%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$51.5 ₹4,875

1241.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$1,525 ₹144.3K

959.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$17.59 ₹1,664

228.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$28.76 ₹2,721

23.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$32.20 ₹3,046

252.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$35.28 ₹3,337

135.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$126 ₹11.9K

381.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$77.3 ₹7,314

479.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$292 ₹27.6K

595.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$182 ₹17.2K

720.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$1,003 ₹94.9K

257.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$521 ₹49.3K

396.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$213 ₹20.2K

136.51%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Imphal: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $126 in Imphal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 137% 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 $113 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 183% in total monthly costs ($1,223 vs $432 including rent). Imphal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 137% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $126 in Imphal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 159% 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 $432 in Imphal versus $1,223 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 183% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.