Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kollam Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kollam

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $302 in Kollam, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $479 in Kollam, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $655 in Kollam, rent included.

Phuket costs about 318% more than Kollam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Kollam are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Kollam 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.14 ₹109

292.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$6.93 ₹661

557.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.04 ₹385

116.83%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.26 ₹120

135.71%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.38 ₹35.87

81.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.14 ₹13.29

178.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.72 ₹164

47.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.94 ₹280

27.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.59 ₹56.3

264.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.47 ₹44.66

287.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.48 ₹45.38

354.17%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$0.81 ₹77.1

177.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$5.22 ₹498

283.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.16 ₹206

68.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.13 ₹203

52.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.58 ₹55.1

182.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.79 ₹75.2

194.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.45 ₹43.34

360.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.48 ₹46.05

222.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.36 ₹34.53

305.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.42 ₹40.45

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.30 ₹28.42

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.51 ₹334

23.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$2.62 ₹250

608.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.19 ₹208

-15.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.80 ₹267

-5.36%

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

$4.64 ₹442

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.13 ₹12.60

992.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$7.92 ₹755

46.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.15 ₹109

175.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.30 ₹28.49

243.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.67 ₹160

731.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.22 ₹116

9.84%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$11.6K ₹1.1M

139.69%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$16.1K ₹1.5M

107.04%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$27.39 ₹2,612

349.25%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$3.26 ₹311

322.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$5.96 ₹568

207.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$11.88 ₹1,133

410.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$14.28 ₹1,362

20.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$1.76 ₹167

403.98%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$23.18 ₹2,211

2867.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$1,521 ₹145.1K

937.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$18.35 ₹1,750

223.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$19.58 ₹1,868

77.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$27.97 ₹2,667

311.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$27.01 ₹2,576

210.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$92.7 ₹8,840

570.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$52.2 ₹4,981

753.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$201 ₹19.2K

911.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$128 ₹12.2K

1071.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$850 ₹81.1K

306.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$457 ₹43.6K

453.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$528 ₹50.4K

-6.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.97

-40.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kollam: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $92.7 in Kollam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 7% higher in Kollam, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $7.00 in Kollam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $91.0 – making Kollam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kollam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 318% more than Kollam, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 per month in Phuket and $453 in Kollam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kollam, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 220% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $7.00 in Kollam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kollam, where all-in costs run around $302, than in Phuket at $1,264. In Kollam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kollam costs $302 versus $1,264 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kollam. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.