Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kohima Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kohima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $386 in Kohima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $617 in Kohima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $848 in Kohima.

Living in Phuket is roughly 227% more expensive than Kohima, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kohima 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$1.44 ₹137

216.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$9.75 ₹927

378.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.15 ₹395

104.10%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.71 ₹162

77.19%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.34 ₹32.17

102.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.13 ₹12.31

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.42 ₹135

75.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.18 ₹303

15.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.71 ₹67.2

207.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.43 ₹41.33

341.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.54 ₹51.3

307.41%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$0.96 ₹90.9

131.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$3.18 ₹303

528.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.33 ₹317

9.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.92 ₹182

68.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.69 ₹65.7

146.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.94 ₹89.7

154.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.83 ₹79.4

150.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.29 ₹27.45

448.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.38 ₹36.54

289.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.37 ₹34.72

178.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.28 ₹26.52

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.35 ₹224

80.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$7.13 ₹678

163.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.54 ₹146

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.87 ₹273

-3.83%

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

$3.45 ₹329

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.28 ₹26.52

385.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$8.68 ₹825

30.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.76 ₹72.0

313.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.24 ₹22.64

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$1.47 ₹140

836.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.12 ₹107

19.64%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$14.1K ₹1.3M

95.63%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$18.0K ₹1.7M

87.76%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$40.20 ₹3,823

207.44%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$3.45 ₹328

291.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$5.49 ₹522

240.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$16.19 ₹1,540

281.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$7.21 ₹686

139.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$2.86 ₹272

219.58%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$32.89 ₹3,128

2036.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,972 ₹187.6K

704.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$25.16 ₹2,392

136.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$36.02 ₹3,425

-2.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$46.56 ₹4,427

147.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$43.44 ₹4,131

93.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$122 ₹11.6K

408.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$75.4 ₹7,168

473.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$272 ₹25.9K

657.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$179 ₹17.0K

743.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$859 ₹81.7K

324.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$578 ₹55.0K

353.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$207 ₹19.7K

145.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.38

-27.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kohima: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $122 in Kohima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 145% 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 $10.00 in Kohima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $99.0 per month, with Kohima 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 Kohima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kohima is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 227% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 145% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $122 in Kohima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kohima – a meal for two runs $10.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $386 in Kohima – a 227% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $386 in Kohima versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kohima but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kohima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kohima 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 Kohima 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 Kohima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 227% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.