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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $423 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $658 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $893 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Kolkata (Calcutta) 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$2.05 ₹196

115.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$15.47 ₹1,485

108.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.10 ₹393

117.80%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.66 ₹160

74.70%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.43 ₹41.44

104.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.14 ₹13.07

242.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.84 ₹176

27.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.22 ₹309

15.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.64 ₹61.5

192.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.46 ₹44.06

219.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.72 ₹68.7

115.28%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.02 ₹97.7

105.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$5.48 ₹526

257.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.97 ₹285

15.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.36 ₹226

26.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.76 ₹73.0

121.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.49 ₹143

48.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.68 ₹65.2

217.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.29 ₹28.14

424.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.39 ₹37.37

243.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.33 ₹31.19

242.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.28 ₹26.96

96.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.03 ₹482

-15.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$10.29 ₹988

85.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.66 ₹159

7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.77 ₹265

0.36%

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

$6.48 ₹621

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.15 ₹14.16

1386.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$2.58 ₹248

781.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.86 ₹82.8

252.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.32 ₹30.89

218.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.61 ₹154

141.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.08 ₹103

37.96%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$14.5K ₹1.4M

83.16%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$21.5K ₹2.1M

25.55%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$55.0 ₹5,278

86.28%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$4.85 ₹465

133.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$6.81 ₹653

155.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$14.89 ₹1,429

249.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$10.88 ₹1,044

1.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.34 ₹320

130.24%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$41.18 ₹3,951

1261.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$1,997 ₹191.6K

476.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$24.12 ₹2,314

161.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$23.22 ₹2,228

27.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$33.14 ₹3,180

195.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$25.98 ₹2,492

240.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$152 ₹14.5K

387.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$92.2 ₹8,849

422.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$385 ₹36.9K

447.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$201 ₹19.3K

509.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,204 ₹115.5K

200.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$620 ₹59.5K

319.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$406 ₹38.9K

21.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.17

-39.26%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $152 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 22% 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 $15.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $116 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.

Average pay runs 22% 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 $152 in Kolkata (Calcutta). 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 $423 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 781% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $423 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,232 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 $423 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.