Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Indore

For one person, living is cheaper in Indore: $426 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Indore, India
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Indore
🇮🇳 India
$426
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Indore

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Indore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $426 in Indore.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Indore $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $699 in Indore.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Indore $699

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $972 in Indore.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Indore $972

Living in Phuket is roughly 200% more expensive than in Indore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Indore 69% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Indore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$2.07 ₹196
115.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$15.68 ₹1,489
106.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$3.07 ₹292
186.97%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$1.46 ₹139
93.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.42
$0.46 ₹44.04
89.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.66
$0.21 ₹19.52
133.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$1.86 ₹176
37.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$3.08 ₹292
19.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Indore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$0.67 ₹63.7
147.76%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.32
$0.42 ₹39.41
247.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$0.67 ₹64.1
123.88%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$0.94 ₹88.9
122.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$4.85 ₹460
293.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$2.60 ₹247
26.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$1.81 ₹172
61.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$0.56 ₹53.4
201.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$0.93 ₹88.6
141.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$0.48 ₹45.32
333.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.36 ₹33.74
319.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.54
$0.40 ₹38.20
245.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.97
$0.51 ₹48.22
109.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.31 ₹29.33
67.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$5.01 ₹476
-16.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$7.44 ₹706
152.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.94 ₹185
-6.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$3.25 ₹308
-12.62%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$4.75 ₹451
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Indore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.00
$0.22 ₹20.89
559.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$3.21 ₹304
1665.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$0.51 ₹48.04
492.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.34
$0.31 ₹29.34
229.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$1.06 ₹101
248.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.78
$1.15 ₹109
27.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.7K
$11.1K ₹1.1M
141.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.8K
$17.4K ₹1.7M
53.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Indore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,252
$35.23 ₹3,345
173.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$4.12 ₹391
173.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$7.98 ₹758
111.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Indore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,269
$24.23 ₹2,300
177.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$7.21 ₹685
48.82%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$3.95 ₹375
89.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Indore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$39.38 ₹3,739
1108.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.1K
$1,780 ₹169.0K
532.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Indore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,105
$24.40 ₹2,317
155.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$38.08 ₹3,615
-25.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,182
$53.2 ₹5,050
77.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,896
$35.68 ₹3,388
140.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Indore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$156 ₹14.8K
358.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$109 ₹10.4K
350.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$352 ₹33.4K
447.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$271 ₹25.7K
428.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$1,185 ₹112.5K
252.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$530 ₹50.3K
474.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Indore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$354 ₹33.7K
41.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
9.7
-42.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Indore: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Indore
$109 77.8% $382
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Indore
$102 61.7% $164
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Indore
$47 62% $77
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Indore
$68 44.1% $54
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Indore
$61 49.5% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Indore
$32 60.9% $50
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Indore
$6.1 91.3% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $156 in Indore. 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: $32 in Phuket vs $16 in Indore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $102 per month, with Indore cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇮🇳 Indore
🕒 Local time
13:00 1:00 PM
11:30 11:30 AM
1 h 30 min behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
3,272,335
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Indore 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Indore

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Indore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Phuket and in Indore?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $426 in Indore, so Indore is about 67% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Phuket or Indore?
Average pay runs 42% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Phuket and in Indore?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $156 in Indore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Phuket or Indore?
All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $426 in Indore – Indore is about 67% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How do commuting costs compare in Phuket and in Indore?
A monthly transit pass in Indore runs roughly 94% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $426 in Indore versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Indore but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Indore the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Indore?
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.
Is Phuket or Indore safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Indore are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Phuket or Indore?
Expats usually find Indore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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