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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $426 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $665 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $905 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Living in Phuket is roughly 197% more expensive than in Kolkata (Calcutta), driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Kolkata (Calcutta) 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.23 ₹308

38.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$11.45 ₹1,092

298.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.96 ₹473

76.61%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.88 ₹180

57.98%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.40 ₹38.60

72.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.14 ₹13.79

178.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.70 ₹162

48.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.97 ₹283

26.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.73 ₹69.5

194.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.43 ₹40.91

323.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.71 ₹67.8

207.04%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$0.97 ₹92.5

131.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$5.49 ₹524

264.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.91 ₹277

24.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.50 ₹239

29.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.80 ₹76.1

105.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.26 ₹120

84.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.61 ₹58.6

239.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.37 ₹35.57

318.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.60 ₹57.1

143.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.41 ₹38.97

139.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.31 ₹29.22

54.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.85 ₹367

12.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$9.17 ₹874

102.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.68 ₹160

10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.43 ₹232

9.05%

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

$7.52 ₹717

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.22 ₹20.93

545.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$2.82 ₹269

310.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.55 ₹52.8

476.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.32 ₹30.99

221.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.01 ₹192

591.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.24 ₹118

8.06%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$15.6K ₹1.5M

77.93%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$22.4K ₹2.1M

49.06%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$42.68 ₹4,070

188.31%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$4.02 ₹383

242.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$7.21 ₹688

154.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$16.02 ₹1,528

278.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$11.50 ₹1,097

49.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$3.98 ₹380

122.86%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$43.92 ₹4,188

1466.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$1,619 ₹154.4K

874.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$27.83 ₹2,654

113.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$30.44 ₹2,903

13.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$49.24 ₹4,696

133.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$31.37 ₹2,992

167.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$159 ₹15.2K

289.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$88.9 ₹8,481

401.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$387 ₹36.9K

426.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$192 ₹18.3K

679.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,195 ₹113.9K

189.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$578 ₹55.1K

337.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$381 ₹36.3K

29.53%

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: July 27, 2026

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $159 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 30% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 197% 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 30% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $159 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $426 in Kolkata (Calcutta) – a 197% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 310% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,264 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 $426 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 197% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.