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 $431 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $679 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $926 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Living in Phuket is roughly 186% more expensive than Kolkata (Calcutta), driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Kolkata (Calcutta) 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.11 ₹296

48.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$11.85 ₹1,125

295.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.04 ₹478

75.40%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.82 ₹172

64.84%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.41 ₹38.72

80.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.16 ₹14.95

131.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.79 ₹170

36.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.86 ₹271

26.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.72 ₹68.8

213.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.40 ₹37.81

360.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.69 ₹65.9

224.64%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.02 ₹96.6

127.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$5.33 ₹506

269.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.95 ₹280

23.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.43 ₹231

39.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.81 ₹76.5

102.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.26 ₹120

91.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.65 ₹61.7

212.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.40 ₹38.28

290.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.60 ₹56.6

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.45 ₹42.57

126.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.30 ₹28.90

63.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.85 ₹366

15.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$9.30 ₹883

103.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.67 ₹159

6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.43 ₹231

13.17%

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

$7.42 ₹705

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.24 ₹22.90

483.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$2.82 ₹268

307.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.60 ₹56.9

420.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.32 ₹30.63

212.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.08 ₹197

577.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.24 ₹118

8.87%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$15.4K ₹1.5M

76.38%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.3K ₹2.1M

47.49%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$41.22 ₹3,914

203.20%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.96 ₹376

242.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$7.35 ₹698

151.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$16.12 ₹1,530

281.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$11.59 ₹1,101

45.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.14 ₹393

121.98%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$43.87 ₹4,165

1491.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,598 ₹151.7K

875.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$28.71 ₹2,726

101.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$29.95 ₹2,843

17.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$50.2 ₹4,765

125.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$31.26 ₹2,968

176.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$162 ₹15.3K

280.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$87.7 ₹8,328

408.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$383 ₹36.3K

435.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$195 ₹18.5K

667.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,159 ₹110.0K

226.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$564 ₹53.5K

370.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$421 ₹40.0K

24.28%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $162 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 24% 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 $12.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $114 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 186% 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 24% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $162 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 $431 in Kolkata (Calcutta) – a 186% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 307% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $431 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 $431 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 186% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.