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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $461 in Karad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $699 in Karad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $937 in Karad.

Living in Phuket is roughly 167% more expensive than in Karad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Karad 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$2.08 ₹199

112.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$10.41 ₹999

209.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.08 ₹391

118.87%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.72 ₹261

6.62%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.41 ₹39.08

114.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.14 ₹13.42

242.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.68 ₹257

-12.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.20 ₹403

-11.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.70 ₹67.2

167.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.50 ₹47.80

194.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.77 ₹73.9

101.30%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$0.94 ₹90.6

123.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$5.42 ₹520

261.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.58 ₹344

-4.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.26 ₹217

31.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.74 ₹71.1

127.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.18 ₹113

87.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.47 ₹45.50

359.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.36 ₹34.80

322.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.37 ₹35.31

262.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.47 ₹44.95

140.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.31 ₹30.03

77.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.07 ₹487

-15.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.37 ₹803

128.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.07 ₹198

-14.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.11 ₹298

-10.61%

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

$5.78 ₹554

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.29 ₹28.03

668.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$7.49 ₹719

203.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.32 ₹31.12

846.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.30 ₹28.53

240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.54 ₹148

152.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.13 ₹108

31.86%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$16.1K ₹1.5M

64.98%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$22.0K ₹2.1M

22.84%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$61.9 ₹5,936

65.62%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$4.32 ₹414

162.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$9.10 ₹873

91.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$12.17 ₹1,168

327.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$6.65 ₹638

66.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$4.65 ₹446

65.38%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$48.73 ₹4,675

1050.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$1,404 ₹134.7K

719.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$35.06 ₹3,364

79.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$22.57 ₹2,165

30.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$57.3 ₹5,494

71.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$46.94 ₹4,504

88.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$123 ₹11.8K

501.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$75.7 ₹7,259

537.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$266 ₹25.5K

691.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$188 ₹18.1K

550.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$887 ₹85.1K

307.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$515 ₹49.4K

405.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.33

-33.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Karad: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $123 in Karad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $10.00 in Karad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $117 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 167% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $461 including rent). Karad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $691 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: $738 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 $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $461 in Karad – a 167% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karad runs roughly 204% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $461 in Karad versus $1,232 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 167% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.