Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kalyan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kalyan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $407 in Kalyan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $694 in Kalyan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $981 in Kalyan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 202% more than Kalyan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Kalyan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Kalyan 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.17 ₹305

39.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$11.34 ₹1,088

184.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.11 ₹394

117.27%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.79 ₹171

62.01%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.34 ₹32.14

158.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.13 ₹12.74

269.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.45 ₹235

-4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.16 ₹303

17.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.75 ₹71.5

149.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.48 ₹45.92

206.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.66 ₹63.1

134.85%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$0.94 ₹90.6

123.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$5.37 ₹515

264.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.23 ₹310

5.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.07 ₹198

43.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.62 ₹59.8

170.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.91 ₹87.1

142.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.46 ₹43.99

369.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.35 ₹33.44

334.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.41 ₹39.05

226.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.41 ₹39.80

175.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.28 ₹26.48

96.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.69 ₹354

15.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.46 ₹716

155.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.81 ₹173

-1.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.02 ₹290

-7.95%

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

$6.02 ₹578

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.18 ₹17.46

1138.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$7.58 ₹728

200.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.51 ₹48.55

494.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.20 ₹19.16

410.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.61 ₹155

141.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.08 ₹103

37.96%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$11.9K ₹1.1M

123.03%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$22.6K ₹2.2M

19.47%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$37.18 ₹3,567

175.61%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$4.45 ₹427

154.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$6.53 ₹626

166.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$11.96 ₹1,148

335.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$10.93 ₹1,048

1.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$2.85 ₹273

169.82%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$71.1 ₹6,822

688.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$1,432 ₹137.4K

703.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$21.27 ₹2,041

196.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$24.23 ₹2,324

21.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$40.23 ₹3,859

143.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$32.37 ₹3,106

173.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$169 ₹16.2K

337.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$97.7 ₹9,375

393.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$419 ₹40.2K

403.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$285 ₹27.4K

329.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,636 ₹157.0K

121.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$907 ₹87.0K

187.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$581 ₹55.7K

-14.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.77

-36.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Kalyan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $169 in Kalyan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 18% higher in Kalyan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $11.00 in Kalyan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $108 – making Kalyan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kalyan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 202% more than Kalyan, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $611 in Kalyan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalyan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 154% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $11.00 in Kalyan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kalyan, where all-in costs run around $407, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Kalyan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kalyan costs $407 versus $1,232 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kalyan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.