Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kalyani

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalyani: $317 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Kalyani
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Kalyani Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kalyani

🇮🇳 India

$317

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kalyani

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 Kalyani actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $317 in Kalyani.

Phuket $1,278
Kalyani $317

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $497 in Kalyani.

Phuket $2,216
Kalyani $497

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $677 in Kalyani.

Phuket $3,154
Kalyani $677

Living in Phuket is roughly 303% more expensive than in Kalyani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kalyani 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.16 ₹205

106.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$14.16 ₹1,344

128.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.14 ₹393

112.80%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.2

$1.70 ₹161

66.47%

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

$0.87 ฿29.36

$0.42 ₹39.47

107.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.63

$0.13 ₹12.74

276.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$1.93 ₹183

32.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.12 ₹296

17.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.65 ₹61.9

155.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.24

$0.48 ₹45.19

204.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$0.55 ₹52.1

172.73%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$0.94 ₹88.9

122.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$5.47 ₹519

248.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.50 ₹237

32.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$2.49 ₹236

17.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$0.51 ₹48.05

231.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$0.61 ₹58.2

268.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿69.9

$0.56 ₹53.2

271.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.27 ₹25.41

459.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.45

$0.43 ₹40.87

220.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.90

$0.31 ₹29.24

245.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.48

$0.25 ₹23.56

108.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.58 ₹340

17.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$7.84 ₹744

139.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.49 ₹141

22.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.71 ₹257

4.80%

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

$7.09 ₹673

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.91

$0.15 ₹14.68

866.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$2.58 ₹245

2096.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.83 ₹78.7

263.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.28

$0.10 ₹9.91

920.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$1.61 ₹153

129.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.69

$1.11 ₹105

32.43%

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

$26.8K ฿902.1K

$13.0K ₹1.2M

105.70%

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

$26.7K ฿899.2K

$22.8K ₹2.2M

17.26%

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

$96.4 ฿3,246

$53.7 ₹5,097

79.49%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$3.19 ₹303

252.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$4.35 ₹413

287.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,265

$8.77 ₹832

666.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.30 ₹219

226.09%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$19.00 ₹1,804

2404.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.5K

$779 ₹73.9K

1346.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,101

$15.50 ₹1,471

302.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$25.95 ₹2,463

9.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,177

$35.60 ₹3,380

164.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,891

$29.30 ₹2,781

192.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$50.2 ₹4,768

1325.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$20.67 ₹1,963

2274.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$146 ₹13.9K

1220.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$48.11 ₹4,567

2873.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$304 ₹28.9K

65.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.5

-25.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kalyani: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kalyani

$21 6.5% 95.8% $470

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kalyani

$101 31.9% 62% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kalyani

$61 19.3% 50.8% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kalyani

$48 15.1% 60.7% $74

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kalyani

$68 21.5% 44% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kalyani

$13 4.2% 83.7% $69

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kalyani

$4.6 1.4% 93.6% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $50 in Kalyani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 65% 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 $14 in Kalyani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $101 per month, with Kalyani cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇳 Kalyani

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

04:29 4:29 AM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

100,600

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 33.69 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Kalyani 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kalyani

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 Kalyani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalyani is about 75% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 65% higher in Phuket, 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: $716 in Phuket versus $50 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 $14 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $317 in Kalyani – Kalyani is about 75% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $317 in Kalyani versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

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 Kalyani are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Kalyani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.