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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,223 per month in Phuket vs $300 in Kollam, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,237 per month in Phuket vs $486 in Kollam, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,251 per month in Phuket vs $673 in Kollam, rent included.

Phuket costs about 308% more than Kollam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Kollam are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Kollam 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$1.18 ₹112

282.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$7.14 ₹676

552.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$4.06 ₹384

109.11%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$1.26 ₹119

144.44%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.37 ₹35.25

83.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.13 ₹12.51

176.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$1.70 ₹161

42.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.98 ₹282

21.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$0.63 ₹60.0

247.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.43 ₹41.09

320.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$0.51 ₹48.32

337.25%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$0.86 ₹81.0

160.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$5.29 ₹501

270.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$2.25 ₹213

65.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.14 ₹202

57.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$0.62 ₹58.9

161.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$0.77 ₹73.0

212.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$0.49 ₹46.64

306.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.45 ₹43.04

240.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$0.36 ₹34.38

302.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.43 ₹40.55

134.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.30 ₹28.00

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.47 ₹328

23.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$2.66 ₹252

618.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$2.24 ₹212

-17.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.83 ₹267

-3.18%

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

$4.54 ₹429

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.11 ₹10.11

1190.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$7.93 ₹750

47.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.13 ₹107

165.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.30 ₹28.11

250.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$1.64 ₹156

747.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.22 ₹115

5.74%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$11.8K ₹1.1M

138.16%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$16.3K ₹1.5M

106.02%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$27.56 ₹2,607

342.60%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$3.41 ₹322

308.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$5.96 ₹563

216.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$12.01 ₹1,136

410.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$14.07 ₹1,331

19.69%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$1.69 ₹160

426.04%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$23.17 ₹2,192

2883.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$1,525 ₹144.2K

959.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$18.14 ₹1,716

218.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$19.38 ₹1,833

82.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$28.49 ₹2,695

297.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$26.91 ₹2,546

208.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$92.9 ₹8,790

552.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$51.5 ₹4,867

770.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$200 ₹18.9K

914.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$128 ₹12.1K

1063.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$869 ₹82.2K

312.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$459 ₹43.5K

462.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$535 ₹50.6K

-5.70%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Kollam: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $607 in Phuket versus $92.9 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 6% 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $7.00 in Kollam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $93.0 – 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 308% 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 $1,835 per month in Phuket and $450 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 215% 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 $47.00 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 $300, than in Phuket at $1,223. 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 $300 versus $1,223 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.