Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kolkata (Calcutta)

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolkata (Calcutta): $434 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Kolkata (Calcutta)
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Kolkata (Calcutta) Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 India

$434

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kolkata (Calcutta)

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Kolkata (Calcutta) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $434 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Phuket $1,278
Kolkata (Calcutta) $434

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $691 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Phuket $2,216
Kolkata (Calcutta) $691

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $948 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Phuket $3,154
Kolkata (Calcutta) $948

Living in Phuket is roughly 195% more expensive than in Kolkata (Calcutta), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.08 ₹198

114.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$13.98 ₹1,327

131.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.15 ₹394

112.29%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.66 ₹158

70.48%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.45 ₹42.69

93.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.12 ₹11.11

308.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.95 ₹185

31.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.01 ₹286

22.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.67 ₹63.4

147.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.50 ₹47.53

192.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.74 ₹70.2

102.70%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.08 ₹102

93.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$5.20 ₹494

266.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.00 ₹285

10.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.42 ₹230

21.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.81 ₹77.0

108.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.36 ₹129

65.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.66 ₹62.5

215.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.30 ₹28.66

403.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.47 ₹44.83

193.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.31 ₹29.00

245.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.28 ₹26.82

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.10 ₹484

-17.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.36 ₹983

81.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.76 ₹167

3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.82 ₹267

0.71%

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

$7.01 ₹666

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.18 ₹16.66

705.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$3.12 ₹296

1716.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.81 ₹76.7

272.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.31 ₹29.20

229.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$1.61 ₹152

129.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.10 ₹105

33.64%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$13.1K ₹1.2M

103.73%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$23.3K ₹2.2M

14.71%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$52.5 ₹4,987

83.45%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$5.16 ₹490

118.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$7.36 ₹699

128.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$15.76 ₹1,496

326.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$11.45 ₹1,088

-6.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.19 ₹303

135.11%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$43.26 ₹4,107

1000.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$1,997 ₹189.6K

463.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$27.19 ₹2,581

129.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$26.01 ₹2,470

9.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$35.95 ₹3,413

162.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$29.01 ₹2,754

195.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$167 ₹15.9K

328.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$103 ₹9,802

375.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$392 ₹37.2K

391.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$241 ₹22.9K

493.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,097 ₹104.2K

280.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$612 ₹58.1K

397.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$379 ₹36.0K

32.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.08

-38.66%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$103 23.8% 79% $388

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$117 27% 56.1% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$65 15% 47.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$53 12.3% 56.4% $69

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$67 15.5% 44.9% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$22 5.1% 73.1% $60

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$6.2 1.4% 91.3% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $167 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 32% 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 in Phuket vs $14 in Kolkata (Calcutta) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $117 per month, with Kolkata (Calcutta) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇳 Kolkata (Calcutta)

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

03:59 3:59 AM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

4,486,679

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Kolkata (Calcutta) 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kolkata (Calcutta)

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 66% 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 32% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $167 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $434 in Kolkata (Calcutta) – Kolkata (Calcutta) is about 66% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 94% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $434 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kolkata (Calcutta) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.