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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $492 in Kalyan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $773 in Kalyan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,055 in Kalyan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 156% more than Kalyan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Kalyan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kalyan 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.43 ₹326

32.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,536

$11.43 ₹1,089

307.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$4.01 ₹382

111.22%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.07 ₹197

46.38%

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

$0.69 ฿22.71

$0.40 ₹37.64

72.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.05

$0.16 ₹14.97

131.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿82.0

$2.47 ₹235

0.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿121

$3.42 ₹326

7.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.9

$0.73 ₹69.1

198.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.7

$0.52 ₹49.29

265.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$0.69 ₹65.5

218.84%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$1.02 ₹97.0

117.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿659

$5.98 ₹570

234.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$3.69 ₹351

-0.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿437

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿107

$2.25 ₹215

43.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$0.59 ₹56.2

188.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.9

$1.05 ₹100

127.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.5

$0.52 ₹49.52

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.5

$0.35 ₹33.52

354.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.87

$0.40 ₹38.25

270.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.93

$0.57 ₹54.3

80.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.03

$0.34 ₹32.74

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$3.80 ₹362

11.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿619

$7.43 ₹708

152.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.9

$2.41 ₹230

-26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$4.11 ₹392

-32.85%

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

$8.71 ₹829

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.83

$0.16 ₹15.53

750.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

$8.51 ₹811

33.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿104

$0.32 ₹30.01

881.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.13

$0.16 ₹14.92

550.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿454

$1.80 ₹171

665.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.30

$1.18 ₹112

13.56%

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

$27.7K ฿912.0K

$11.7K ₹1.1M

136.02%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$21.1K ₹2.0M

60.63%

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

$124 ฿4,072

$42.35 ₹4,034

191.83%

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

$13.52 ฿446

$4.56 ₹434

196.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿616

$7.35 ₹701

154.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,037

$13.11 ₹1,248

371.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

$12.03 ₹1,146

43.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$3.95 ₹376

131.39%

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

$703 ฿23.2K

$87.4 ₹8,323

704.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿523.0K

$1,267 ₹120.7K

1153.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,959

$23.77 ₹2,264

150.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,156

$24.77 ₹2,360

41.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,798

$42.92 ₹4,088

168.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,769

$42.12 ₹4,012

99.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$209 ₹19.9K

195.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.3K

$130 ₹12.4K

232.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$473 ₹45.1K

335.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.8K

$317 ₹30.2K

377.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.1K

$1,641 ₹156.3K

122.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.5K

$913 ₹87.0K

187.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$573 ₹54.6K

-11.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.02

-40.91%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kalyan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $209 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 13% 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $11.00 in Kalyan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $121 – 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 156% 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 $1,892 per month in Phuket and $738 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 143% 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 $47.00 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 $492, than in Phuket at $1,261. 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 $492 versus $1,261 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.