Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Karad Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Karad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $490 in Karad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $804 in Karad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,117 in Karad.

Living in Phuket is roughly 158% more expensive than in Karad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Karad 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.15 ₹491

-13.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$21.76 ₹2,076

109.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.58 ₹437

91.27%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.66 ₹253

11.65%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.48 ₹45.51

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.18 ₹17.59

116.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.36 ₹225

7.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$4.12 ₹393

-8.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.78 ₹74.4

175.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.52 ₹49.39

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.83 ₹78.8

162.65%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.04 ₹99.5

116.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$6.95 ₹663

187.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.85 ₹367

-5.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.37 ₹226

36.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.75 ₹71.7

118.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.26 ₹121

84.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.65 ₹62.3

218.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.57 ₹54.7

171.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.63 ₹59.8

131.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.69 ₹65.6

42.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.35 ₹33.51

37.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.03 ₹384

7.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.21 ₹783

126.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.10 ₹200

-11.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.36 ₹321

-21.13%

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

$6.90 ₹658

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.28 ₹26.43

407.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$8.88 ₹847

30.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.37 ₹35.00

756.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.30 ₹29.05

243.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.37 ₹131

913.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.20 ₹114

11.67%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$17.7K ₹1.7M

57.21%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$25.3K ₹2.4M

32.04%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$50.3 ₹4,798

144.58%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$5.10 ₹487

170.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$8.61 ₹821

112.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$15.91 ₹1,517

281.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$7.09 ₹676

142.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.56 ₹435

94.52%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$121 ₹11.6K

466.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,310 ₹315.7K

376.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$29.06 ₹2,771

104.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$30.87 ₹2,944

12.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$54.8 ₹5,230

110.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$39.58 ₹3,775

111.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$123 ₹11.8K

404.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$75.9 ₹7,242

487.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$276 ₹26.4K

635.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$177 ₹16.9K

744.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$896 ₹85.4K

285.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$489 ₹46.7K

417.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.22

-42.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Karad: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $123 in Karad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Karad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $129 per month, with Karad 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 Karad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Karad differ by about 158% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $490 including rent). Karad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $736 in Karad to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $123 in Karad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $490 in Karad – a 158% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karad runs roughly 30% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $490 in Karad versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karad but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Karad 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 Karad 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 Karad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 158% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.