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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $382 in Kohima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $615 in Kohima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $848 in Kohima.

Living in Phuket is roughly 231% more expensive than in Kohima, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Kohima 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.39 ₹133

222.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$9.82 ₹936

364.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.98 ₹380

120.10%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.72 ₹164

72.67%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.34 ₹32.35

102.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.12 ₹11.67

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.37 ₹131

84.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.28 ₹313

14.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.74 ₹70.5

190.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.44 ₹41.87

313.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.54 ₹51.7

303.70%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$0.97 ₹92.7

131.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$3.16 ₹301

532.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.29 ₹314

10.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.84 ₹175

76.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.70 ₹66.7

134.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.96 ₹91.7

142.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.77 ₹73.7

168.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.29 ₹27.62

434.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.38 ₹36.63

284.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.37 ₹35.11

164.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.28 ₹26.53

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.38 ₹227

82.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$7.08 ₹676

162.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.47 ₹141

26.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.87 ₹274

-7.67%

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

$3.58 ₹342

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.30 ₹29.00

373.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$8.86 ₹845

30.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.74 ₹70.8

328.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.26 ₹24.96

296.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.48 ₹141

838.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.11 ₹106

20.72%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$13.7K ₹1.3M

102.35%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$18.0K ₹1.7M

85.54%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$41.01 ₹3,911

200.05%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$3.36 ₹320

309.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$5.49 ₹523

233.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$16.00 ₹1,526

279.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$6.92 ₹660

147.98%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$2.96 ₹282

199.66%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$32.35 ₹3,085

2026.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$1,902 ₹181.4K

729.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$25.84 ₹2,464

129.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$35.89 ₹3,423

-3.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$47.01 ₹4,483

145.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$42.17 ₹4,022

98.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$123 ₹11.7K

407.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$77.6 ₹7,400

474.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$274 ₹26.1K

643.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$183 ₹17.5K

715.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,093 ₹104.2K

216.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$481 ₹45.9K

426.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$203 ₹19.3K

143.53%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kohima: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Phuket pays 144% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $10.00 in Kohima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 231% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 144% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $123 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $382 in Kohima – a 231% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $382 in Kohima versus $1,264 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 231% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.