Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kalyani Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kalyani

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $394 in Kalyani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $625 in Kalyani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $856 in Kalyani.

Living in Phuket is roughly 212% more expensive than Kalyani, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Kalyani 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.13 ₹298

47.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$11.67 ₹1,108

301.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.05 ₹480

75.05%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.78 ₹169

68.54%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.24 ₹22.90

208.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.14 ₹13.50

164.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.71 ₹163

42.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.99 ₹284

20.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.72 ₹68.5

213.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.43 ₹40.85

327.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.67 ₹63.9

234.33%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$0.86 ₹82.1

169.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$5.53 ₹525

255.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.83 ₹269

28.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.42 ₹230

40.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.55 ₹52.4

198.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.73 ₹68.8

230.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.60 ₹57.0

238.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.35 ₹33.49

345.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.53 ₹50.1

183.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.41 ₹39.19

148.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.28 ₹26.16

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.11 ₹296

43.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$8.61 ₹818

119.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.42 ₹134

25.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.41 ₹229

14.11%

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

$7.63 ₹725

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.30 ₹28.64

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$8.64 ₹821

32.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.60 ₹56.8

420.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.10 ₹9.22

900.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.01 ₹191

601.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.26 ₹119

7.14%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$15.8K ₹1.5M

72.42%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.0K ₹2.2M

42.96%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$41.66 ₹3,955

200.00%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.45 ₹327

293.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$5.05 ₹479

266.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$9.32 ₹885

559.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$6.97 ₹661

141.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$2.70 ₹256

240.37%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$21.14 ₹2,007

3202.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$859 ₹81.6K

1714.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$17.03 ₹1,616

239.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$29.77 ₹2,826

18.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$38.32 ₹3,638

195.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$31.31 ₹2,973

175.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$125 ₹11.9K

391.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$75.5 ₹7,165

490.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$272 ₹25.8K

653.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$180 ₹17.1K

729.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$861 ₹81.8K

338.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$550 ₹52.3K

381.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$305 ₹28.9K

71.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.5

-28.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kalyani: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Phuket pays 72% 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 $12.00 in Kalyani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $106 per month, with Kalyani 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 Kalyani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalyani is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 212% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 72% 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 Kalyani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kalyani – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $394 in Kalyani – a 212% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $394 in Kalyani versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kalyani but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kalyani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kalyani is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kalyani 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 Kalyani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 212% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.