Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kolkata (Calcutta) Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kolkata (Calcutta)

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $433 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $673 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $914 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Living in Phuket is roughly 191% more expensive than Kolkata (Calcutta), driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kolkata (Calcutta) 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.29 ₹313

38.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$11.48 ₹1,092

306.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.95 ₹471

71.11%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.81 ₹173

67.40%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.37 ₹35.25

86.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.13 ₹12.10

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.70 ₹162

46.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.97 ₹282

23.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.67 ₹63.9

225.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.39 ₹37.37

387.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.66 ₹63.0

233.33%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$0.98 ₹93.0

126.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$5.31 ₹505

276.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.88 ₹274

27.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.46 ₹234

31.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.81 ₹77.0

109.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.32 ₹125

81.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.66 ₹62.8

215.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.38 ₹35.73

318.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.60 ₹57.1

146.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.44 ₹42.31

134.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.31 ₹29.12

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.05 ₹385

4.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.59 ₹817

118.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.74 ₹165

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.52 ₹239

9.52%

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

$7.66 ₹728

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.22 ₹20.87

518.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$2.93 ₹279

287.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.55 ₹52.7

470.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.33 ₹30.92

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$1.99 ₹189

591.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.24 ₹118

8.06%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$15.8K ₹1.5M

75.49%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$22.3K ₹2.1M

51.99%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$42.63 ₹4,054

189.91%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$3.91 ₹371

245.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$7.30 ₹694

156.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$15.82 ₹1,504

290.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$11.78 ₹1,120

46.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$3.96 ₹376

130.81%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$44.30 ₹4,212

1486.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,564 ₹148.7K

914.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$28.62 ₹2,722

107.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$29.83 ₹2,837

17.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$49.98 ₹4,753

130.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$31.68 ₹3,013

165.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$161 ₹15.3K

283.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$90.1 ₹8,571

380.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$377 ₹35.8K

447.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$192 ₹18.3K

685.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,156 ₹110.0K

215.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$580 ₹55.2K

352.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$464 ₹44.1K

9.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.9

-46.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $161 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 9% 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 $11.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $112 per month, with Kolkata (Calcutta) 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 Kolkata (Calcutta): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolkata (Calcutta) wins on cost – living expenses run 191% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kolkata (Calcutta) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Phuket pays 9% 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 $161 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $433 in Kolkata (Calcutta) – a 191% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 288% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $433 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kolkata (Calcutta) but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kolkata (Calcutta) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kolkata (Calcutta) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $433 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kolkata (Calcutta) hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kolkata (Calcutta) 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 Kolkata (Calcutta) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 191% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.