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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $365 in Kohima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $570 in Kohima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $774 in Kohima.

Living in Phuket is roughly 238% more expensive than in Kohima, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Kohima 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$2.35 ₹225

87.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$8.67 ₹832

272.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$3.63 ₹348

146.01%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.55 ₹149

87.10%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.44 ₹41.82

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.10 ₹9.39

380.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.22 ₹117

92.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.35 ₹321

11.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.62 ₹59.5

201.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.43 ₹41.38

241.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.54 ₹52.1

187.04%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$0.85 ₹81.3

147.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$2.79 ₹268

602.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.27 ₹314

4.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.27 ₹218

31.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.71 ₹67.7

136.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.90 ₹86.0

145.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.65 ₹62.8

232.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.32 ₹30.89

375.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.34 ₹32.47

294.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.31 ₹29.70

264.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.27 ₹25.90

103.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.13 ₹205

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.06 ₹677

170.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.64 ₹157

8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.48 ₹238

12.10%

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

$3.12 ₹299

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.23 ₹22.50

869.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$7.24 ₹694

214.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.73 ₹69.6

315.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.30 ₹29.00

240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.28 ₹122

203.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.04 ₹100

43.27%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$12.6K ₹1.2M

110.78%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$16.2K ₹1.6M

66.74%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$34.86 ₹3,344

193.95%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$3.32 ₹319

241.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$6.35 ₹609

174.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$14.06 ₹1,349

270.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$6.71 ₹644

64.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.21 ₹308

139.56%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$27.76 ₹2,663

1919.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$2,198 ₹210.9K

423.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$17.29 ₹1,658

264.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$31.32 ₹3,005

-5.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$37.33 ₹3,581

162.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$26.76 ₹2,567

230.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$124 ₹11.9K

497.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$62.8 ₹6,029

667.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$228 ₹21.9K

824.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$163 ₹15.7K

650.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$970 ₹93.1K

272.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$541 ₹51.9K

381.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$202 ₹19.4K

144.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.38

-24.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Kohima: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $124 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Kohima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $97.0 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, Getting Around. The 238% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $124 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 $9.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $365 in Kohima – a 238% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $365 in Kohima versus $1,232 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 238% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.